Kennewick Police Chief Announces Retirement

He oversaw some of the biggest expansions of the City and Department, and steered it through some of it's most tumultuous times, especially in 2020, with civil unrest in the spring and summer.

Tuesday, Chief Ken Hohenberg announcing his pending retirement after serving as KPD Lead for almost 18 years. In total he served KPD for 42 years.

Hohenberg began his career as a patrol officer, also a traffic officer, motorcycle officer, Kennewick’s first DARE officer, patrol sergeant and the department’s first internal affairs lieutenant.

He took over as Chief in 2003. He was also named Tri-Citian of the Year in 2009. He also won a number of Tri City area community awards for his service to not just Kennewick, but all three cities.

He's also noted for starting the KPD Foundation in 2009, and with help from donors and citizens, the fund continues to this day to provide emergency assistance to people; ranging from emergency road repairs to a hotel room for a night for a person having to escape a domestic situation. He's won a number of law enforcement awards, including having studied at the FBI academy and being a post grad there.

He will be officially stepping down in February 2022. No immediate word on if his replacement will come from in-house, or when a search for a new Chief will begin.