Ken Cost, who was named interim chief for Mesa in November, has been named the official Mesa police chief Monday.
Cost said he is focused on bettering the department and the City of Mesa.
“I look forward to working hard for each and every one of you here,” said Cost.
As the fourth Mesa police chief in 10 years, Cost said he hopes to have a longer tenure than some of his predecessors.
“I have no plans to go anywhere," Cost said. "I’m not looking for anything else to do. This is my agency. This is my home."
Cost became interim chief after Chief Ramon Batista suddenly resigned from the post four months ago.
“Appointing Assistant Chief Cost to this position was an easy decision based on his extensive law enforcement experience, knowledge of, and relationships with, the community and tenure with Mesa Police.” City Manager Chris Brady said in a statement. “I am fully confident in his ability to lead this department professionally and with the utmost integrity, transparency, and commitment.”
Cost was first hired in January 1995 as a patrol officer. He has worked in several roles including assistant chief, Special Investigations-Gang Unit, Community Action Team, and criminal investigations.
He was promoted to assistant chief in March 2018, and he supervised the Patrol Operations Bureau.
"We've had good lines of communication," said Mesa Police Association President Glenn Pearson. "It would be nice to have stability at the top."
Pearson said the officers union liked Chief Cost's "pride" in the department, especially after it complained the last chief was an outsider who attacked officers' integrity and disregarded their safety.
After several high-profile excessive force complaints during Batista's tenure, Chief Cost said he will work to increase community confidence in the department,
"I think it all starts with relationships and trust, and the good thing about being around here as long as I have, is that I built relationships over the years," Cost said.
