James Lester appointed as Washington Police Chief

After months of careful searching, the City of Washington has found a new police chief in James (Jim) Lester, the current Deputy Sheriff and Emergency Management Coordinator for Wright County. He will take the place of current chief Greg Goodman, who is retiring in May after 34 years of service.

Lester, who currently resides in Clarion, has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience and has been in his current position as Deputy Sheriff since 1992. During that time, he facilitated the opening of a new jail, worked as an investigator in the Iowa Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force and worked as the lead investigator of the Wright County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

Lester attended the Washington City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 16, and said he was looking forward to this new opportunity in Washington.

'I'm excited to be here and get started,” he said. 'I have a strong belief in my management philosophy of communication, accountability and teamwork and I want to make sure we're all working together and communicating and getting things done.”

Lester will begin his first day as the Washington Police Chief on Monday, May 20.