After serving for five years as the City of Oakdale’s Chief of Police, Scott Heller is retiring, effective Aug. 27, but Heller plans to help develop the transition plan before his formal retirement.
“It has been a privilege and honor to serve this wonderful community. The timing to step back is right for me and my family,” Heller said. “The Oakdale Police Department is well supported by our great community with a team that is well prepared for the future. I look forward to remaining in the community with family and friends.”
With the retirement announcement made in the last week, the search will soon begin for a successor.
“The Oakdale Community is fortunate to have had Chief Heller lead the Oakdale Police Department,” said City Manager Bryan Whitemyer. “His commitment to constant improvement and serving the community is unparalleled. It has truly been a privilege to work with Chief Heller over the last five years.”
According to Whitemyer, the City has not received applications for the chief position yet as formal open recruitment has not begun. Similarly, to the process used to select Heller, once begun, the process should take three to six months to make a new selection.
In the meantime, Whitemyer anticipates the City will name an Acting Police Chief for a period of time until the new chief is selected.
Under Heller’s leadership, Oakdale has seen a consistent drop in crimes over the past several years as compared to its five-year crime average. A strong emphasis has been placed on community engagement efforts and the increased use of technology within the department.
Additionally, the police department implemented the use of body worn cameras, a real-time crime center in the cloud capturing live and recorded video throughout the city, an unmanned aerial vehicle program, a rapid response tactical team, along with entering the accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Before becoming the police chief in Oakdale, Heller served 17 years with the Modesto Police Department and as the police chief in Placerville for three years.
