A fixture in the Wayland community for nearly two decades is finishing his service this summer. Police Chief Ron Roth is retiring at the end of July. He began serving in the position for the city in April of 2002. Initially it was seen as a stepping stone to another position, but he talks with KCII News about what made him stay, and what makes the community special, “The way the people welcomed me here when I started made it feel like home. They held an open house. People came and introduced themselves. They said things like, ‘I live here, you’re welcome to come over and have a cup of coffee or whatever.’ That just stuck in my mind. Once I moved to the city of Wayland and brought my wife and daughter here, it just became home. I decided this was where I was going to retire from.”

Originally from East Dubuque, Illinois, he started in law enforcement with that department on July 1st, 1979. He also served abroad with the United Nations in Bosnia and Kosovo. Roth says that during his career policing has changed with new technology, like the use of stun guns, and with the perception of law enforcement when it comes to respect. He also spoke about the difficulties and rewarding parts of the position. “One of the most difficult parts of law enforcement is having to do a death notification. That is very tough. The most rewarding is just hearing the words, ‘Thank you.’”

Roth will close his 42-year career in law enforcement on July 26th.