The City of Citrus Heights announces the appointment of Chief Ron Lawrence as its next Police Chief. Lawrence currently serves as the Chief of Police for the Rocklin Police Department, a position he has held for the last five years. Lawrence takes the helm of the police department from Christopher W. Boyd, recently selected as City Manager for the City of Citrus Heights.

“It is with great pleasure that I introduce Ron Lawrence as the next Chief of Police for Citrus Heights,” said Boyd. “I have tremendous respect for Chief Lawrence as a law enforcement executive and know his high standards in leadership, community service, and public safety will well lead the Citrus Heights Police Department into its next chapter. Twenty-seven years of law enforcement experience in the Sacramento and Bay Area regions have earned him an excellent reputation with law enforcement professionals industry-wide, and in the agencies and communities he has served. His empathy and compassion are values of utmost importance in today’s policing.”

Lawrence said, “Chris Boyd has been a mentor of mine for some time; I am honored and humbled that he asked me to oversee the exceptional police department he worked so hard to build. This opportunity is exciting for me both personally and professionally. While it may seem counterintuitive to leave a job at which I excelled and truly loved, I like to think I'm leaving Rocklin on a high-note, having contributed to the prosperity of the Department and City. I am ready for a new challenge and am much looking forward to working alongside outstanding law enforcement professionals, that is, the men and women of the Citrus Heights Police Department.”

Ron is an Adjunct Professor with William Jessup University and a graduate of the FBI National Academy and California POST Command College. Lawrence holds a Master’s in Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. He currently serves as the 3rd Vice President of the California Police Chiefs Association.

Boyd was appointed City Manager upon the retirement of Henry Tingle who served in that capacity for 18 years. Chief Lawrence will begin his new post with the Citrus Heights Police Department on Monday, October 31, 2016.