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Lima Police Department Announces Upcoming Retirement of Police Chief Angel Cortes

todayJuly 10, 2024 254

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Lima Police Chief Angel Cortes
Photo: Lima Police Department

On Monday, the Lima Police Department issued a media release announcing the retirement of Lima Police Chief Angel Cortes. The retirement announcement comes after Cortes served the Lima community in various roles over a span of more than three decades.

You can read the official press release from the Lima Police Department below:

On July 26, 2024, Lima Police Chief Angel Cortes will retire after 33 years of service to the Lima community. Chief Cortes was the first Hispanic police officer employed by the police department and subsequently the first Hispanic Police Chief in the history of the Lima Police Department. He started his career as a patrolman in 1991 and rose through the ranks being promoted to Chief on June 3, 2022.

During his 33-year career with the Lima Police Department, Chief Cortes had many assignments. Some of those assignments include being a Field Training Officer (FTO); member and commander of the Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT); member, instructor and commander of the Bike Team; Sergeant of Precinct Two Community-Oriented Policing (COP); commander of Pro-Active Crime Enforcement Unit (PACE); and third shift commander. He was promoted to Major in 2012 and assigned to Administrative Services and then to the Detective Bureau before being promoted to Chief of Police.

As a result of Chief Cortes’ retirement, and after a competitive testing process to find a successor, Major Jim Baker will be ceremoniously sworn in as Lima’s next Police Chief, on July 17, 2024 at 1030 hours in Council Chambers. He will officially take over the duties of Police Chief on July 27, 2024. He will be sworn in by the Honorable Mayor Sharetta Smith.

Also promoted as a result of Chief Cortes’ retirement will be Lieutenant Curt Hile to the position of Major, Sergeant Shane Huber to the position of Lieutenant, and a patrol officer to the position of Sergeant once that testing process is completed.

Written by: WKTN Staff

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