Local & Community
Cathedral City Appoints Rick Sanchez as First Latino Police Chief
City Manager Andrew Firestine has appointed Rick Sanchez as Cathedral City's next Police Chief, following a national search and selection process that included community input.
Sanchez, who has served as Acting Police Chief since the retirement of Chief George Crum on December 18, 2025, becomes the first Latino to lead the Cathedral City Police Department.
A Career Built in Cathedral City
Sanchez is a nearly 20-year veteran of the Cathedral City Police Department. He joined the agency as a police officer in 2006 and has served in Patrol, Graffiti/Gangs, Investigations and SWAT.
He spent 13 years with Desert Regional SWAT, including time as a team leader, and served for 10 years as a member of the department's Honor Guard. As a sergeant, Sanchez supervised Patrol, the Detective Bureau and the Professional Standards Bureau.
He was later promoted to Commander, overseeing Investigations, and then to Deputy Chief, where he oversaw the department's Operations, Investigation and Support Bureaus.
Sanchez holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from California Coast University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, San Bernardino. He also completed leadership and management programs through the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, the Los Angeles Police Department and California POST.
"We conducted an extensive and competitive search, advertising the position nationally and evaluating candidates from across the country," Firestine said. "What became clear through that process is that the leader our community was looking for had been part of our team all along."
A Search Shaped by the Community
The city advertised the position nationally while also asking residents to provide input through a community survey offered in English and Spanish. The feedback was used to help develop the position profile and was provided to interview panel members.
The interview panel included civic leaders, nonprofit and community organizations, law enforcement professionals and police chiefs from neighboring agencies.
Sanchez said he was "deeply honored and humbled" by the opportunity to lead the department and thanked former Chief George Crum for his leadership and mentorship.
"As Chief, I look forward to working alongside our exceptional employees, our City leadership, our public safety partners, and the members of our community," Sanchez said.
The Cathedral City Police Department has 81.5 sworn and professional staff and serves a community of more than 52,000 residents.
Sanchez succeeds Crum as the department's permanent police chief and will oversee the agency's public safety operations as Cathedral City continues to focus on community partnerships, transparency and public safety.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
August 20, 2026
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