Petaluma Police Sgt. Richard Cox Announces Retirement

Press release from the Petaluma Police Department:

Sept. 7, 2021

PETALUMA, CA — We are pleased to announce veteran Petaluma Police Sergeant Richard Cox has announced his well-deserved service retirement from the Department effective Sept. 4, 2021 after 26 years of dedicated public safety service.

Sergeant Cox began his accomplished law enforcement career on February 27, 1996. He served with distinction in a variety of assignments including Patrol, Bicycle Patrol, Canine Handler, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, and Detective in DEA Narcotics Task Force.

Officer Cox embraced community policing joining the Bicycle Patrol Team to promote greater community engagement through personal contact with community members not possible from a traditional patrol car. In addition to community engagement, Officer Cox was a proactive patrol officer who worked hard to reduce crime, improve traffic safety, and improve quality of life. His keen and instinctive skills on patrol helped him prevent crime and apprehend criminals. His patrol skills were recognized in several areas including auto theft when he was awarded the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Stolen Vehicle Enforcement Award in 1998.

In October 1999, Officer Cox was selected as a Police Canine Handler where he continued to fight crime and protect the community and his fellow officers with his canine partner Oscar. Officer Cox and Oscar received numerous awards and commendations for their police work and community engagement. They competed in numerous Police Canine Training Trials that brought community members together to learn about police service dogs while providing exceptional training to police service dog teams throughout California. Officer Cox was directly responsible for planning and hosting the annual Petaluma Police Department Canine Trials at Luchessi Park. Officer Cox and Oscar achieved numerous awards and always placed high in individual as well as overall competitions, which included multiple awards for the best overall team out of more than twenty-five canine teams from around the state.

Officer Cox was also selected to join the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) in 1999 where he served for most of his career. Officer Cox used his training and experience as a canine handler to integrate police service dogs into SWAT training and operations.

After Police Canine Oscar retired, Officer Cox was assigned his new partner Max. Together they continued the Department’s long history of excellence with our police canine program.

Officer Cox’s exceptional performance and service in six short years culminated in his nomination and selection as the Department’s 2002 Officer of the Year.

Due to his excellent patrol and tactical skills, he was selected to the Field Training Program as a Training Officer in 2003. This assignment presented additional challenges because he was training new officers while also handling a police canine.

In 2004, Officer Cox was selected as an Instructor on the Firearms Training Team. His calm and confident nature helped new and experienced officers increase their safety and understanding of use of force laws through practical training scenarios and exercises. His positive influence in this area was extended throughout his entire career.

In 2008, Officer Cox was selected to represent the Department as a Task Force Officer (TFO) with the Regional DEA Narcotics Task Force. During his assignment as a TFO Detective he was responsible for many successful investigations targeting high level narcotic traffickers. He served a full five-year tour. His collective and large volume of significant cases resulted in his nomination and selection as the recipient of the 2013-2014 California-Hawaii Elks Association Annual Enrique Camarena Law Enforcement Award.

In that same year Officer Cox was promoted to Sergeant. Since 2014 he has commanded all of the specialized teams he so proudly served. His leadership, while often quiet and unassuming, positively influenced those around him to be better than they have been. He promoted after action reviews of patrol responses to calls for service in the spirit of training and sharing collective experience and knowledge with other officers.

Throughout his career he has received hundreds of commendations from community members as well as supervisors. From investigating the theft of a child’s video game which he would later purchase and replace on his own, or giving his boots to homeless man in need, to safely detaining an armed suspect and preventing the use of deadly force by the use of his canine partner Max, Officer Cox was always there to bring courage and a calm demeanor to any call for service. He received formal commendations for so many great cases some of which included managing a case that apprehended home invasion robbery suspects, traffic safety enforcement as a canine handler, addressing a problem drug house in a westside neighborhood, apprehension of armed robbery suspects, tracking and apprehending many violent criminals after vehicle and foot pursuits with his canine partners, and confiscation of thousands of pounds of narcotics and cash from drug dealers. Many of his commendations addressed his sound judgement and appropriate use of patrol tactics and police canines that resulted in suspect surrenders without the use of force.

As a sergeant he influenced, trained, and mentored his officers to perform at the same high level, helping them achieve similar recognition while delivering policing services safely with compassion, care, and respect.

Coming from a family of law enforcement professionals, Sergeant Cox has served this community with honor and distinction while exemplifying our performance principles of professionalism, leadership, teamwork, organizational excellence, community, and a winning attitude. Always humble while doing the right thing, his presence will be greatly missed inside the organization. He leaves behind a legacy of safety balanced with public service that remains a significant part of our culture that will influence this organization positively into the future.

Please join me in thanking Sergeant Cox for his selfless service to our community, Department, and profession and congratulating him and his family on his well-deserved service retirement. His last shift was Friday night for swing shift.

This press release was produced by the Petaluma Police Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.