Seven promoted at Hutchinson Police Department

Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper promoted seven officers within the Hutchinson Police Department on Friday, setting up the department’s new command structure and filling holes created with the promotion of those officers and the firing of three others last month.

The three men picked to fill captain posts each have more than 20 years at the department, while the others promoted have 10- to 17-year tenures with the agency.

A standing-room crowd attended the 3:30 p.m. ceremony in the Hutchinson City Council Chambers, as Hooper introduced each person and the officers were pinned with the insignia of their new rank.

The promotions included:

– Capt. Marty Robertson was promoted from lieutenant, most recently commanding the Detective Division, to Captain of the Operations Division. In the role, Hooper said, he’ll oversee the investigation, patrol and traffic units.

Robertson started at the HPD in October 1993. Over his 25 years, he’s worked as a patrolman, field training officer, emergency vehicle operations instructor, community policing officer, detective, patrol sergeant, an administrative lieutenant and as the investigations commander.

He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, class No. 242.

During his career, Robertson was awarded the Medal of Valor, Medal of Merit and Outstanding Service Award.

Misty Robertson, his wife of 21 years, pinned Robertson with his new rank. The couple has two children, Tina and Garrett.

– Capt. Thad Pickard was named captain of the department’s Professional Standards Division. In that post he’ll oversee internal affairs, recruiting and public relations.

Pickard started his law enforcement career in 1990 when he joined the Military Police Corps in the U.S. Army. He joined the Hutchinson Police Department in 1996 as a patrol officer. He also served as a warrant officer and part of the department’s tactical response team.

Five years after hired at HPD, he was promoted to sergeant and became a patrol supervisor. Then, in 2006 he joined the detective bureau and became a lead detective for violent crimes.

During that period he was also an instructor for firearms, SWAT tactics, defensive tactics, officer survival, crime scene investigations, a weapons armorer and developer of the department’s reality-based training program.

In 2011 he was promoted to lieutenant and led the department’s first platoon for six years.

Pickard is a graduate of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association and on Friday graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Leadership Academy, where he earned public manager certification.

His wife Neeley installed his rank pins during the ceremony, which was also attended by his son Caleb and father, Earl.

– Capt. Josh Radloff was promoted to command the Administrative Division. In that post, he’ll be in charge of the managing the department’s budget and purchasing, as well as overseeing the records department, animal control and other administrative duties, Hooper said.

Radloff began his law enforcement career with the Elkhart Police Department in 1995. Besides graduating from the Kansas Law Enforcement Center, he completed an 18-month EMT course offered by Morton County EMS.

He was hired at Hutchinson in 1998 and assigned to the patrol division. In 2001 he was appointed a Field Training Officer and in 2002 joined the SORT team as a sniper. In 2003 he joined the department’s Traffic Bureau, then in 2007 was moved to the newly created Hutchinson/Reno County Emergency Response Team as an operator/medic, then attended the inaugural Harvey County ERT SWAT training.

In 2007, Radloff was also promoted to sergeant, supervising the department’s first platoon, then in February 2015, he was named lieutenant and assigned to command the third platoon.

His wife, Jami pinned Radloff.

The department’s fourth command division is Communications, which is overseen by E-911 Director Michelle Abbott.

“It is our hope that with this new command structure HPD will be better equipped to provide quality service to our community, all while remaining transparent and accountable,” Hooper said.

– Sgt. Dustin Loepp was promoted to lieutenant.

Loepp graduated in 2002 from Kansas State University and was hired by the department that October as a patrolman. After several years of service, he was selected as a field training officer. In the summer of 2011, he became a juvenile division detective. He helped establish a crime scene investigations team and operated on the team while in the division.

In April 2014 Loepp was promoted to sergeant and returned to patrol. In October 2015 he was named a detective sergeant and worked in the adult detective bureau, becoming lead investigator for all major person felony cases.

“Dustin has developed a great working relationship with other agencies, co-workers and confidential informants and attributes his success to those relationships, as well as the support of his family,” Hooper said.

– Three officers were promoted to sergeant.

Sgt. Curtis Black attended Norton Community College and then joined the Norton Police Department in 2006. The HPD hired him in 2008, where he worked in patrol for four years. While in patrol, he served as a field training officer and defensive tactics instructor.

In 2012 Black moved to the detective division where he worked primarily property and financial crimes, specializing in cell phone investigations. He was awarded the Medal of Outstanding Service for his work in investigations.

Black is the lead Defensive Tactics instructor, certified arson investigator and a trainer with the National Law Enforcement Training Center. He has served on several committees and panels within the department and city, including the hiring panel, Wellness Committee, Performance Management Committee and as a recruiter.

His wife Jenni pinned on his new insignia.

Sgt. Lance Hirt joined the department in July 2001. He’s been a member of the emergency response team since 2004 and is currently assistant team leader. He was a field training officer for nine years and still assists with the program.

He’s also been part of firearms training since 2012, instruction in handgun and rifle disciplines, as well as less lethal munitions. He’s currently working to bring the department’s Force-on-Force program up-to-date.

His wife, Lori, pinned Hirt.

Sgt. Dayton Gates joined the department in December 2008 after earning a degree in Criminal Justice from Wichita State University.

He became a field training officer in 2012 and has been heavily involved with the FTO program. In 6 ½ years Gates trained at least 29 recruits. He is the instructor for report writing, arrest law and departmental paperwork. He’s also helped instruct traffic stops, scenarios, use of force and geography.

As a member of the department’s recruitment team, he’s conducted background investigation and sat on oral interview panels.

He was pinned by his wife, Sophia.