Police Chief Jeff Groth Announces His Retirement from the City of Sherwood Police Department

Chief Groth began his law enforcement career as an Oregon State Police Cadet, working in State Parks on the Oregon coast. Groth then served as a Reserve Police Officer for the Independence Police Department. In 1989, Groth completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Western Oregon University. That same year, Groth was hired as a patrol officer by the Tualatin Police Department, where he served for over 18 years.

In February 2008, Groth was appointed as Sherwood’s Police Chief. During his tenure in Sherwood, Chief Groth focused on establishing a positive agency culture, building strong relationships and support of the Sherwood community through relational policing, and establishing and maintaining a thriving agency that adheres to a community policing model. Chief Groth provided the vision for the Sherwood Police Foundation and was instrumental in the creation of the Sherwood Youth Substance Abuse Team. Groth also had the vision, and worked with former City Manager Joseph Gall, to establish the Sherwood Police Advisory Board.

When asked about working with Chief Groth, Mr. Gall stated, “In my thirty plus years of local government service, I have worked with many amazing law enforcement professionals and I consider Chief Groth at the top of that list. I thank him for his long and distinguished career and wish him the best in his retirement.”

During Groth’s time as Chief, Sherwood has consistently been recognized as one of the safest cities in Oregon, and the Sherwood Police Department is recognized as a leader in best practices and community policing. Chief Groth gives all the credit to the women and men of the police department, saying “I focused on hiring and retaining the right people, letting them do their job and surrounding them with a strong team of leaders”.

Groth’s official last day with the City will be December 31st. Groth said he is confident in the police department’s readiness to move forward, “We have been diligent in helping grow and develop leaders and I know the agency will continue to be a leader in best practices and relational policing, and that Sherwood will continue to be one of the safest and best communities in Oregon”, said Groth.

"Chief Groth has been a tremendous Police Chief for our city," said Mayor Keith Mays. "As he nears retirement, I want to thank him for the dedication and professionalism he has continuously shown in his service to our community. With his long list of accomplishments as Police Chief and his community-oriented approach to policing, he will continue to positively impact Sherwood and the police department long after his last day in office."

Chief Groth is a Life Member of the OACP (Oregon Association Chiefs of Police). Chief Groth has been very active in OACP and in 2018 served as OACP President. Chief Groth has conducted numerous police agency reviews through OACP’s Executive Resources Committee. Groth also serves on the board of the Oregon Accreditation Alliance and on the board of Public Safety Chaplaincy.

“Chief Groth has built a police department that is the benchmark in Oregon for excellence,” said Sherwood City Manager Keith Campbell.  “As a transformative leader Chief Groth and his leadership team assisted other police departments, to establish a framework of best practices, professional accreditation, and community policing. Chief Groth’s impact on police services in Oregon cannot be overstated. As Sherwood’s new City Manager, I am thankful for the long-term vision and planning that Chief Groth has had for the City of Sherwood.”

Upon his retirement, Chief Groth will have served nearly 14 years as Sherwood’s Police Chief and will have served over 32 years in public service as a police officer, and Groth says he couldn’t have done it without the support of his amazing wife Cyndi and their family.