CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Police Chief Ronald A. Lawrence announced the immediate promotions of Lieutenant Jason Russo and Lieutenant Alex Turcotte to the rank of Commander. Police Commanders are the third highest rank in the Police Department, beneath the Assistant Chief of Police and Chief of Police.

“I could not be more pleased with the outstanding leadership within the Citrus Heights Police Department. Selecting two new Police Commanders among a list of many talented personnel was a good challenge to have, as we have no shortage of qualified personnel. With their promotions to Police Commander, Russo and Turcotte now hold the third highest rank in our police department and will each command a Division. Both are skilled, experienced and committed leaders who will no doubt continue to serve our organization and citizens well into our future. These highly-decorated professionals exemplify their commitment to service with character, integrity and honor.”

-  Ronald A. Lawrence, Chief of Police

Commander Jason Russo began his law enforcement career as an intern with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office while attending Sacramento State University. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, he served the Clayton Police Department as a police officer and promoted to Sergeant in 2003. In May of 2006, Russo helped launch the Citrus Heights Police Department and was hired as one of the original Sergeants during our inaugural years. Russo has served our department in a variety of leadership capacities such as SWAT Tactical and Sniper Team Leader, Training Manager, Detective, Patrol and Traffic Sergeant. He promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2013 and has served the department in Patrol, Special Operations and Professional Standards. Commander Russo has distinguished himself in the community through his work with the Citrus Heights Police Activities League (Board President), Relay for Life, Tip a Cop and the Holiday Referral Program. He holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Caption: Commander Jason Russo, Investigative Services Division

Commander Alex Turcotte began his career in law enforcement with the Ventura Police Department in 2001where he worked as a patrol officer and a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team.

In October of 2006, Turcotte was hired as a police officer with the Citrus Heights Police Department and was assigned to the Patrol Division until his promotion to the rank of Sergeant in 2007. As a Sergeant, Turcotte worked a variety of assignments, including as Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Sergeant, SWAT Team leader and the Special Investigations Unit before promoting to Lieutenant in 2013. As a Police Lieutenant, Turcotte managed a variety of units within the Patrol and Investigative Services Divisions, as well as in the Office of the Chief. In addition, he led the Department’s SWAT Team.

Commander Turcotte holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Command College for law enforcement executives. Commander Turcotte has served on a number of boards and associations and has been a repeat panelist at the University of San Francisco Law Enforcement Leadership Symposium.  He has received many awards and citations, including two separate awards for his role in resolving high-risk emergencies with the Department SWAT team. Commander Turcotte is a Past President of the Citrus Heights Rotary Club and currently serves as President of the Citrus Heights Rotary Foundation.

Caption: Commander Alex Turcotte, Patrol Services Division