Mayor Sam Kooiker appointed Interim Police Chief Karl Jegeris as the new Rapid City Chief of Police Wednesday. Kooiker’s first choice, Police Lieutenant Elias Diaz, failed to achieve confirmation by the city council. Interim Chief Jegeris says the past three weeks have been rigorous but he’s optimistic about the future.
“Anytime that there is a change in leadership I think that especially within the department that you know there is concern that somebody might come in the and might turn the organization upside down and shake it a little bit and see what can fall out, and I classify the changes that are coming as to be mostly minor in nature rather than major in nature,” says Jegeris.
Jegeris says the changes include a renewed focus on traffic enforcement and a department wide staff inspection.
He has been with the Rapid City Police Department since 1995. The Rapid City Council must vote to approve Jegeris before he takes his new position.