Rick Sanchez Makes History as First Latino Chief

Cathedral City Swears in First Latino Police Chief

CATHEDRAL CITY — When former Police Chief George Crum was called out of retirement to take on the role of police chief in February 2020, he knew returning from retirement meant he needed to ensure that he developed the future,

“I believe true leaders owe it to the community and the department to develop their replacement,” Crum told Uken Report. “I found this replacement in Deputy Chief Sanchez as I tried to mentor him prior to my retirement. I recognized he displayed the skills of a police chief as he had a deep familiarity with our agency! He demonstrated proven experience handling major administrative and Operational tasks! Supporting Chief Sanchez as an internal candidate meant avoiding an operational change within the organization. Lastly, Chief Sanchez had established trust within the department based on his decision- making, the ability to handle pressure and his ability to work in a team environment!”

Following is a Q&A Uken Report had with the new Chief. Enjoy!

Uken Report (UR): How old are you?

Chief Sanchez: I’m 49 years old and have spent the past 20 years serving with the Cathedral City Police Department. I started as a police officer and had the opportunity to work my way through the organization as a sergeant, commander, deputy chief, acting chief and now chief of police.

UR: Have you always wanted to be a police chief?

Chief Sanchez: No. When I became a police officer, my goal was to be a good officer, work hard and serve the community. As my career progressed, I was given opportunities to take on different assignments, lead and mentor others, and become more involved in the direction of the department.

Throughout my career, I worked patrol, gangs and investigations, served as a field training officer, and was a member of our SWAT team. Those different assignments gave me a broad range of experience and helped prepare me for leadership opportunities as they came along.

Over time, as I took on greater responsibilities within the department, I realized I wanted the opportunity to lead the organization and help shape its future. For me, it was never about obtaining a title; it was about having the opportunity to make a difference and leave the department better than I found it.

UR: Why? The position comes with enormous responsibility – especially at a time when the nation as a whole seems on edge.

Chief Sanchez: That responsibility is something I take very seriously. Law enforcement is a challenging profession, and expectations from our communities are rightfully high. We have a responsibility to keep people safe while earning and maintaining the trust of the community we serve.

I believe good leadership is especially important during challenging times. We need to be transparent, accountable and willing to listen. At the same time, we need to make sure our officers and employees have the training, equipment, resources and support necessary to do their jobs safely and professionally.

UR: You’ve worked side by side with many of the men and women in the department. Will you find it difficult to now be their boss?

Chief Sanchez: I actually believe knowing our people is an advantage. I’ve served in leadership positions within the department for many years, so making difficult decisions and holding people accountable are not new responsibilities for me. What changes as chief is that ultimately the responsibility for the entire organization rests with me.

I know the strengths of our employees, I understand many of the challenges they face, and I’ve performed many of the jobs I am now responsible for overseeing. I want our employees to know that I will support them, listen to them and give them opportunities to succeed, but I will also hold them – and myself – accountable.

UR: Former Chief George Crum mentored you and groomed you for this role, I’m told. What’s the best advice he gave you?

Chief Sanchez: Chief Crum taught me a great deal about  leadership. One of the most important lessons was to surround yourself with good people, trust them to do their jobs and not believe that, because you are the chief, you have to have every answer.

He also taught me that leadership requires making difficult decisions. Not everyone is going to agree with every decision you make. You listen, gather information, consider different perspectives and then make the decision you believe is best for the department and the community.

UR: What is your No. 1 priority for the department?

Chief Sanchez: Our people. Everything we accomplish as a police department begins with the men and women who work here. If we recruit good people, train them properly, provide strong leadership, support their wellness, hold them accountable and give them the tools they need to succeed, our community will receive better service.

I also want us to continue evolving as an organization. That means embracing technology responsibly, improving efficiency, strengthening our community partnerships and looking for innovative ways to address crime, mental health issues and other challenges facing our community.

UR: When it comes to crime, what are Cathedral City’s weak spots, the areas that need more attention?

Chief Sanchez: I wouldn’t necessarily describe them as weak spots. Like every city, we have crime and quality-of-life issues that require continued attention. Property crime, theft, vehicle-related crime, drugs and other quality-of-life concerns are areas we continually monitor and address.

One of my priorities is making sure we are not simply reacting to crime. We need to use crime analysis, intelligence, technology and regional partnerships to identify patterns and repeat offenders and deploy our resources where they can have the greatest impact. The best call for service is sometimes the one we prevent from occurring in the first place.

UR: What keeps you awake at night?

Chief Sanchez: The safety of our employees and our community. Our officers, dispatchers and other employees make important decisions every day, sometimes under extremely difficult circumstances and with very little time.

As chief, I think about whether we are giving them the training, equipment, staffing, resources and leadership they need to make good decisions and perform their jobs safely. At the end of every shift, I want our employees to go home safely to their families, and I want our residents to feel safe in their community.

UR: You are the first Latino to lead the department. What does that mean to you? Does that add to the pressure of the job for you?

Chief Sanchez: It is something I am extremely proud of, and I understand the significance of being the first Latino police chief in Cathedral City, particularly in a community as diverse as ours.

Representation matters. If a young person in our community sees someone who looks like them or comes from a similar background serving as chief of police and begins to believe that they can accomplish something they may not have previously thought possible, that is meaningful to me.

I don’t view it as additional pressure as much as an additional responsibility. Ultimately, I want to be judged by the way I lead, how I treat people, the performance of our department and whether I leave this organization and community better than I found them.

UR: Do you have a family?

Chief Sanchez: Yes. My family has been incredibly supportive throughout my career. Law enforcement requires sacrifices not only from the person wearing the badge but also from the people who support us at home. As my responsibilities have increased throughout my career, so have some of those sacrifices, and I am extremely grateful for their continued support.

UR: Is there anything about this job that scares you?

Chief Sanchez: I wouldn’t use the word scared, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for the responsibility that comes with being chief of police. The decisions I make can affect our employees, their families and members of our community, and I never want to lose sight of that.

There will be difficult decisions and difficult days. My responsibility is to make those decisions thoughtfully, surround myself with good people, listen to different perspectives and always try to do what is right for the department and the community.

UR: Anything you would like to add?

Chief Sanchez: I’ve spent 20 years with the Cathedral City Police Department, so this department and this community mean a great deal to me. I’ve essentially grown up professionally here. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some incredible people, and I am grateful for the trust that has been placed in me to lead this organization.

Becoming chief is not the finish line for me. It is the beginning of a new responsibility.

I want our community to know that I will be accessible, I will listen and I will be transparent. I will support our employees while holding our organization accountable, and we will continue looking for ways to improve the services we provide.

At the end of my tenure as chief, I want to be able to look back and know that I left the Cathedral City Police Department stronger than I found it and that we made a positive difference in the community we serve.