Reuben Meeks Named City of Rancho Cordova Police Director

Rancho Cordova, CA—Ted Gaebler, City Manager of Rancho Cordova, is pleased to announce that the City is transitioning Reuben Meeks, Chief of the Rancho Cordova Police Department, (RCPD), from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department contract to work directly with the City in leading the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) and workforce.  He will continue to direct the highly successful public safety and law enforcement activities that protect the Rancho Cordova community.  He has been serving as Police Chief under the County contract since 2006.

“We are extremely happy to be finalizing an arrangement to bring Reuben directly into the City to continue to manage the work of the Police Department,” said Gaebler.  “He is a creative, forward-thinking law enforcement leader.  It will benefit our community to build upon his many successes,” he said. “Chief Meeks and his officers have done an outstanding job creating an extremely effective police department for Rancho Cordova.  Crime is down, people feel and are safer as a result of many programs that he and his officers have implemented,” continued Gaebler.  There have been double-digit decreases in several crime categories over the past few years. “RCPD has created positive, proactive relationships with our community in crime prevention and response through the implementation of creative and cost-effective programs,” cited Gaebler. 

Officers who work in Rancho Cordova receive special training in the City’s culture and specific needs in order to communicate and respond effectively.  “Our police officers take as much pride in initiating and realizing improvements in our City as those of us who live here,” explained Gaebler.  “That is a very different concept from relatively anonymous law enforcement in other areas.”

Rancho Cordova Mayor Dan Skoglund echoes Gaebler’s sentiments.  “Residents have developed excellent relationships with our officers, some of whom have served our community for many years,” the Mayor said.  “Many RCPD officers contribute countless hours of volunteer service to make Rancho Cordova a better place, truly a testament to their dedication.” 

Meeks will be retiring from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as a Captain after 25 years of service and immediately assume his position with the City as Police Director.

#####

Reuben Meeks Biography

Educated at the University of Phoenix, Reuben Meeks earned his Master in Business Administration 1999. As a former State Traffic Officer for the California Highway Patrol in 1984, he is currently the Chief of Police for the Rancho Cordova Police Department. His past Command assignments are: Staff Services (Internal Affairs and Recruitment), North Central Division, Centralized Investigations (Homicide, Child Abuse and Sex Assaults), Work Release (Home Detention and Work Project), North West Division, and the Folsom Community Correctional Facility. Other past assignments are: Corrections, Patrol, Internal Affairs, Airport, Communications Bureau, Narcotics, and Air Operations. During his assignment as the Director for a Community Correctional Facility he testified before the State Senate Committee on Correctional issues. He served as the chair for Sheriff’s Community Advisory Board which is critical in working with the community on minority-community related issues. He served with the American Red Cross for two weeks in Texas, during the nationwide response for Hurricane Katrina and Rita. He raised cattle as a business for over 10 years. He is currently a Certified Flight Instructor and Commercial Pilot in both Airplanes and Rotorcraft. Additionally he is a Provisional Auditor in the Aerospace Industry for ISO (AS) 9000 business standards. Chief Meeks is an avid motorcyclist who has traveled across the nation and is active in Rotary and Elks. In 2005 and again in 2009, he was presented with the Outstanding Faculty Award for UOP.