ROCKFORD, Mich. — Rockford is getting a new public safety chief.
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Lieutenant Brandon Boelema will be sworn in on March 9 and take over on April 1, replacing current Chief David Robinson, who announced he is retiring on March 31.
Rockford operates a public safety department, meaning all officers are cross-trained to respond to police, fire, and EMT calls.
"I just started taking on a few more responsibilities here or there, and next thing you know, I'm putting in for the sergeant's position, and then became the lieutenant last year in February, and now the chief spot opened up, and I was in a good position," Boelema said.
Boelema joined the Rockford department as a patrolman in 2009. City Manager Thad Beard said the city considered outside candidates before concluding the right choice was already within the department.
"He rose to the top because of his personality, his character traits, and his relationships that are already established here, that he can continue moving that forward," Beard said.
One of Boelema's first priorities will be officer retention. The department has seen officers recruited away, and Boelema says keeping experienced personnel in-house is critical.
"It's actually a compliment that people still want, you know, keep wanting our officers, but we got to find a way to, you know, keep them and have them in-house with all their experience and training," he said.
Boelema also emphasized the importance of officers building relationships within the community they serve.
"It's really nice to get to know people on a one-on-one basis and see familiar faces. It's even better when you're able to develop those personal relationships, because a lot of what we do is we respond to somebody's time and need, it's their worst moment they've ever had," Boelema said.
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