SIMI VALLEY : Police Department Announces Promotions

Four Simi Valley police officers have been promoted effective Sept. 5, the date when nearly 25% of the department’s 109 sworn officers are expected to change assignments in a departmentwide shake-up, Chief Willard R. Schlieter said.

Schlieter said last week that he has promoted Sgts. Kenneth Tacke and Rex Jones to the rank of lieutenant.

Tacke, 42, is a 19-year veteran of the department working most recently in the detective division supervising property crime and violent crime investigations. Jones, 39, has been a Simi Valley officer for more than 17 years and was working in the support services division on training and internal affairs.

Schlieter also promoted Officers Anthony Anzilotti and Gregory Riegert to the rank of sergeant.

Anzilotti, 31, has served 10 years with the department in assignments ranging from patrol and training to the detectives division and the Special Weapons Team.

Riegert, 37, has worked in the Simi Valley department for 15 years, serving at times in the patrol, traffic and detectives divisions as well as administration and the Special Enforcement Detail.

Schlieter said the four men’s promotions created vacancies that other officers will be shuffled to fill. He also plans to reassign the department’s lieutenants to new duties, something he promised to do soon after taking office in March.

“I asked for volunteers for each of those assignments, and from those I did make some new assignments,” he said. “It’s really something (the lieutenants) are eager to have happen.”

Schlieter said that by the time all the changes are finished, about 25 to 30 officers will have switched duties.