Police chief steps down

Chico Police Chief Kirk Trostle will soon retire after about 2 1/2 years of leading his department.

Trostle (pictured) served as interim chief starting in April 2012, following the retirement of his predecessor, Mike Maloney, and took the full-time job that June. At the time, Trostle told the CN&R he intended to remain chief for at least four years. But in a letter to City Manager Mark Orme dated Nov. 21, Trostle said his last day would be Dec. 30.

“Recent events in my private life have caused me to make a choice—profession or family,” Trostle wrote. He said his decision to retire “will be the first time I have chosen family over profession in nearly 28 years of public service.”

In response to an email inquiry from the CN&R, Orme acknowledged his personal surprise. “The chief has been working extremely hard to help the police department overcome the difficult financial circumstances and staffing challenges our city is experiencing,” he wrote. “I was hopeful that he would be here for a few more years as we rebuild the organization and the department.”

Orme said he hopes to work out a contract for an interim replacement by mid-December, and that he plans to begin a national search for a full-time chief in January.