LAKEPORT, Calif. – A 16-year veteran of the Lakeport Police Department took the oath of office as the agency’s new lieutenant on Tuesday night.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen administered the oath to his new second in command, Jason Ferguson, 42, during the Lakeport City Council meeting.
Rasmussen, who was sworn in as chief in June 2011, was the department’s last lieutenant. The council last month had finally given Rasmussen the go ahead to move forward with hiring the lieutenant’s position.
Councilman Tom Engstrom, who retired as the city’s police chief in 2005, noted after Ferguson took the oath, “I did one good thing when I was chief and that was hire you.”
Engstrom told Lake County News following the meeting that Ferguson had been a correctional officer when he joined the Lakeport Police Department.
“I had really good luck stealing correctional officers,” said Engstrom, who explained that the department put Ferguson through the police academy.
In addition to Rasmussen and Ferguson, Lakeport Police’s staff includes two sergeants, five full-time officers, two part-time officers, one part-time investigator, one full-time records director and one part-time records assistant, according to the 2012-13 budget.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.