The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce the promotion of Robert Richards to the rank of Deputy Chief.  

Robert began his career with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 1998.  As a Deputy, Rob was assigned to the Court Security Division, Highway Patrol Division, and Criminal Investigations Division.  Robert also served as an evidence technician and was responsible for processing crime scenes - searching for and collecting evidence.  He served as a member of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Team, as a defensive tactics instructor, and school safety coordinator.  

In 2012, Robert was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served as a supervisor in the Highway Patrol Division.  He was also assigned to oversee the Tactical Response Team.  In 2017, Robert was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, where he served as a Highway Patrol Shift Commander.  He also continued overseeing the Tactical Response Team.

In early 2019, Robert was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division.  In his role as Deputy Chief he will oversee the operations of the Criminal Investigations Division, which consists of Sheriff’s Detectives, Sheriff’s Gang Task Force, Warrants Team, and is comprised of over 40 employees.  

Sheriff John Idleburg said, “Deputy Chief Robert Richards is a proven leader with over two decades of experience.  Since being transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division earlier this year, he already made significant changes, including refocusing Gang Task Force efforts to identify and apprehend those illegally possessing firearms and pushing drugs in our community.  His knowledge and technical skills combined with his calm demeanor has resulted in the peaceful resolution to many tense situations.  Robert trained and mentored many employees over the years at the Sheriff’s Office, and I’m confident he’ll make terrific strides as the leader of the Criminal Investigations Division, which will result in great service to the Lake County community.”