Flory said the 45-year-old married father of two has agreed to a tentative offer of employment with the City, subject to Council approval. He noted that the selection of Captain Roth follows a four-month-long recruitment process that he further described as “extensive.”
“Both Mayor Nelson P. Crabb and I were really comfortable at the end of that lengthy analysis that Mr. Roth was the right candidate for the City of Clear Lake”, stated Flory. Roth was one of three finalists to be interviewed in closed session by the Clear Lake City Council during the past week.
“I thought it was critical to make sure we did all we could to find the best fit for the community and the department and that shouldn’t be rushed,” Crabb said. Flory said the City was honored to have three highly qualified finalists to fully vet to ensure we had someone of high integrity. “He and his spouse, Lisa, are fully-committed to the Community and the department and Pete understands the unique dynamics of our City,” Crabb further said. “He’s going to be a great chief of police.”
At the University of Iowa, Roth oversees 22 sworn police officers, four lieutenants and two sergeants in the University’s uniformed patrol division. He has been with the Iowa City college’s public safety division since 2008, previously serving 10 years with the Clive Police Department. He has a Bachelors degree from the University of Iowa and a Masters in Public Administration from Drake University. He began his career in law enforcement in Johnson County, Kansas and the City of Mission, Kansas.
Roth is expected to begin work in Clear Lake officially on August 3, 2015. Flory stated that The future Chief of the CLPD will be in town on Friday and will be spending the day with the department, as well as taking part in the 4th of July parade and other events this weekend.
The City has been without a permanent Chief of Police since former Chief Greg Peterson retired in April of 2014. Interim Chief of Police Rex McChesney passed away December 26, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer.
