Middletown police chief announces retirement

Middletown’s police chief Rodney Muterspaw will retire in 2020 after a 30-year career with the department, officials said Monday.

During his career, Muterspaw has been a patrol officer, detective, special operations sergeant, and Deputy Chief of Police. He was promoted to police chief in 2014.

Muterspaw said he fulfilled his obligation he made to city management to serve five years as police chief and was ready to do something else now.

“I’ve known since spring that this is what I wanted to after talking with friends and family,” he said. “I have some plans for the future and its something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Muterspaw, 50, told this news organization that he is planning to enter the private sector and that it will not be law enforcement related or be a police chief somewhere else. He said that he informed his officers and city administration earlier on Monday. Muterspaw said he’s also looking forward to taking some time off because its hard to take vacations when you are a police chief.

“It’s time to do other things while I’m still young,” he said. “It’s not about the money. It’s about having peace of mind and a normal life.”

Muterspaw’s career has included receiving awards such as the Middletown NAACP Leadership Award, Martin Luther King Drum Leadership Award, and Kingswell Impact Middletown History Maker Award. He has served on several boards, including the Butler County Chiefs of Police Association and the Butler County Safety Council Executive Board.

The department will be holding internal chief testing before announcing a successor later this year, city officials said.

“I commend Chief Muterspaw on his distinguished career with the city,” City Manager Doug Adkins said in a news release.

“He has made tremendous strides in the transparency and community involvement that the police department is now known for. We thank him for his service in helping to make Middletown a great place to live, work and play.”

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