Location: Sheriff's Headquarters, 833 S. Akers St., Visalia
Incident Date: 2/9/18
Incident Time: 0900 hours
City: Visalia
Posted by: Media Relations
Sheriff Mike Boudreaux will promote one to the rank of Captain, one to the rank of Lieutenant and two to the rank of Sergeant during a promotion ceremony Friday. They are:
Cpt. Rob Schimpf
Lt. Jon Brown
Sgt. Bill Meek
Sgt. Chad Bruce
Who: Sheriff Mike Boudreaux
What: Promotion ceremony
When: 9 a.m., Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Where: Tulare County Sheriff’s Headquarters, 833 S. Akers St., Visalia. Enter on the north side of the building.
Info: Teresa Douglass, PIO, (559) 802-9412
Sheriff Mike Boudreaux offers his sincere congratulations to Cpt. Schimpf, Lt. Brown, Sgt. Meek and Sgt. Bruce. He wishes them well in their new assignments.
The public is welcome to join the department, friends and family for a promotion ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday followed by a reception.
For more information, please contact the Sheriff’s Public Information Officer at (559) 802-9412.
Biographical information:
Captain Rob Schimpf is a long-time resident of Tulare County. Less than a week after graduating from Golden West High School in 1992, he began his military career in the United States Army as a combat medic and pharmacy specialist. He is a graduate of the United States Armed Forces Academy of Health and Science at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
After his return from the military, he worked in the medical field and later attended the Tulare-Kings Counties Basic Peace Officer Academy, graduating in 1997. He began his career with the Woodlake Police Department where he worked two years before joining the Tulare County Sheriff's Office.
His tenure with the Sheriff’s Office began with the patrol division, assigned to the Orosi Substation.
Cpt. Schimpf was promoted to Detective in 2002 and was assigned to the Agricultural Crimes Unit and, later, Crimes Against Persons Division where he investigated Crimes Against Children and Sexual Assaults.
In 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the Bob Wiley Detention Facility. It was then that he also joined the Search and Rescue Team as a supervisor. In 2007, he returned to the Agricultural Crimes Unit as the sergeant.
Cpt. Schimpf was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2009 and was assigned to the Crimes Against Persons Division. Later, he was assigned to Headquarters Patrol, Night Watch Commander, the Employee and Public Relations Unit and the Emergency Services Division where he served as the county's Search and Rescue and Mutual Aid Coordinator.
Cpt. Schimpf lives in Visalia with his wife, Marlena, and their two sons and daughter. He is incredibly passionate about coaching sports, mentoring local youth and enjoying time with his family. Additionally, Cpt. Schimpf enjoys outdoor activities such as cycling, backpacking and scuba diving.
Lt. Jon Brown began his career in law enforcement in 1984 when he graduated from the U.S. Army Military Police Academy at Fort McClellan, Ala. He served for six years.
In 1994, he was hired at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Services Officer at the Bob Wiley Detention Facility. He later transferred to the Porterville Substation as a Patrol Deputy.
During Lt. Brown’s 24 years at the Sheriff’s Office, he has served many capacities, including:
- Community-based Officer in Orosi in 1998
- Promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1999, serving at the Bob Wiley Detention Facility and the Main Jail. He was also part of the team that opened the Adult Pre-Trial Facility.
- Patrol Sergeant at the Orosi Substation in 2005
- In 2007, Internal Affairs Division as a Detective Sergeant
- Technical Division, including 911, Crime Analysis, Planning and Research and Information Technologies.
- In 2014, Cyber Forensic Investigation Unit Sergeant
Additionally, Lt. Brown has been an active supervisor of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team as well as the Swiftwater Dive Rescue Team.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University in 2014, graduating Suma Cum Laude with Honors. Lt. Brown also graduated from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute in 2014.
Remarkably, Lt. Brown has led seven expeditions of volunteers from the law enforcement and public service community as part of Cops on Top to the summit of Mt. Whitney to memorialize fallen officers from California who lost their lives during the preceding year.
He was named Officer of the Year in 2005 by the Tulare County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and in 2017 by the Latino Peace Officers Association.
Lt. Brown enjoys hiking, boating and scuba diving. He is supported by his wife of 30 years, Tricia, and four grown children.
Sgt. Bill Meek began his public service career as a youngster tagging along after his father, a volunteer firefighter out of the fire station in Farmersville. Later, he worked as an EMT for Exeter District Ambulance, and as a firefighter for the California Department of Forestry.
In 1989, Sgt. Meek was hired by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer, assigned to Road Camp. Later, he transferred to the Bob Wiley Detention Facility.
During a lay off in 1993, he was rehired as a Detention Services Officer and as a Reserve Deputy. He worked part-time as a duty officer in Dispatch and Headquarters Patrol.
He also worked as a Reserve Officer for the Dinuba Police Department until he was hired full time at the Kerman Police Department where he served as a School Resource/DARE Officer for a year until he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
Sgt. Meek came back home in 1996 to work for the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy. He was assigned to Patrol out of the Porterville Substation. Later, he transferred to Headquarters Patrol. Since he was quick to volunteer to work at other substations, he said he has worked every beat area in the county.
In 2002, he transferred to the Crime Lab as a detective and worked hundreds of homicides and major cases for the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies. He was considered an expert in many areas of the Crime Lab.
Sgt. Meek transferred to the North-End Investigations Unit in 2016 and, in 2017, he was assigned as an Officer in Charge (Corporal) for the Visalia Substation Patrol Unit.
He is supported by his wife, Marina, who also works for the Sheriff’s Office as an emergency dispatcher, and their daughter and son.
Sgt. Chad Bruce grew up in Tulare County and graduated from Orosi High School in 1998. He worked as a volunteer for the Fire Department in Orange Cove for 16 years.
He started his career in law enforcement at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in 2002 at the Main Jail.
Later, in 2004, he transferred to the Porterville Substation as a Patrol Deputy and, in 2006, he became a Field Training Officer.
At the Sheriff’s Office, he has also served in the South End Gang Violence Suppression Unit, North End Investigations, the Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Unit and SWAT (10 years).
Sgt. Bruce served as a Task Force Officer on the Department of Justice Fresno Methamphetamine Task Force. He was also on the local and state DOJ Clandestine Lab Team.
In 2017, he transferred back to Patrol at the Orosi Substation as an Officer in Charge (Corporal) and a Field Training Officer.
Sgt. Bruce is supported by his wife of 19 years, Adriana, their four children and one grandson. He and his wife keep busy as volunteers at the Orange Cove animal shelter where they help rescue and place animals.