Sarasota City Manager Marlon Brown last week appointed Deputy Chief Rex Troche as interim Chief of Police. Troche succeeds Chief James Rieser, who has announced his retirement from the City of Sarasota. 

“We appreciate Chief Rieser’s dedicated service to Sarasota for the past 29 years and his leadership as police chief over the past seven months,” Brown said. “Now, we look forward to a seamless transition with Deputy Chief Troche stepping into the interim role. With his extensive background in law enforcement and his exemplary service to the department in a variety of positions over the past two decades, he is a natural choice to immediately step into this role while continuing to serve the community.”

Interim Chief Troche began his career with the Sarasota Police Department in 2002. He’s served in all four agency divisions (Patrol, Professional Standards, Criminal Investigations, and Support Services) as either an officer or supervisor. “It’s been an honor and privilege to serve under Chief Rieser’s direction. He‘s been extremely impactful not just for our agency but for our community,” Troche said. “I would like to ensure our community that the Sarasota Police Department will continue to move forward with initiatives that are in place and keep the City of Sarasota a safe place to live, work and play.”