Rochester Police Chief Peterson to Retire

Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - Longtime Rochester Police Chief Roger Peterson has decided to retire.

Peterson told KROC AM News Thursday morning that he will step down April 25th, two months shy of his 20th anniversary as the city’s top cop.

Peterson joined the RPD in 1981 and moved into investigations before he was named Deputy Chief of Operations.  He was appointed chief July 1, 1998.

During Peterson’s tenure, the department embraced technology as it adopted new intelligence gathering programs and recently added a drone to its patrol division.

A bias and discrimination case Peterson was involved in was recently settled. Veteran officer Eli Umpierre reached a $1-million settlement with the city to end her claim against Peterson and the police department. Peterson had recommended her termination over some Facebook posts and her complaints about suspected racial bias by white police officers in an employment decision.

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