Columbus Chief of Police Jon Rohde is transitioning out of his role with the department. Rohde recently announced that he will be running for Judge of Bartholomew County Superior Court 2 next year. A press release from CPD explains that he has requested to transition out of the role of police chief in order to focus on his campaign.
Mayor Jim Lienhoop will be working with Rohde on developing a transition plan, which will be announced in the near future. Rohde stated, “I’ve been humbled to serve as chief of police for the Columbus Police Department for over five years. From working closely with Mayor Lienhoop, I can attest that he is a true public servant who cares about the citizens of Columbus as well as the future of our community. I’ve been honored to work alongside Mayor Lienhoop and will do whatever I can to assist in this transition.”
At age 35, Rohde became the youngest police chief in the history of the department. During Rohde’s leadership, the department attained international and state accreditations and reaccreditations, implemented a body-worn camera program and an overdose intervention program. Rohde also cited increased transparency by communicating with the public on social media.
Mayor Lienhoop stated, “Jon Rohde is a high caliber police chief and the City of Columbus has been fortunate to have him serve in that capacity for over five years. His forward thinking, and desire to improve the force has led to critical improvements in the department. Rohde’s legal background has helped set the tone for making policy changes which have improved how our police force conducts themselves as they do their job and, his commitment to the police workforce led him to push forward, and support the salary compensation study and implementation that was accomplished in 2018. Public safety is the number one commitment a city makes to its citizens and I have been pleased to work with Chief Rohde for the past three-and-a-half years and am proud of his accomplishments during the many years he has worked for the city.”
Rohde will continue to serve as chief of police through the end of this year.