Bob Lytle led us in singing What Child is This and The Holly and the Ivy.

 

Chief George Rouhib has been Rochester's Chief of Police for the last 17 months and thoroughly enjoys his job. Chief Rouhib has been in public safely for over 38 years. After earning a BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology at Wayne State, he earned a master's from Eastern Michigan. He worked at Fraser and Eastpointe police departments.

He had his eye on the Rochester job but figured the former Chief, Steve Schettenhelm, wouldn't go anywhere. Less than a year later, after Steve retired, Rouhib was named the new Chief. 

 

The Rochester Police Department has an annual budget of $4.5 million and employs 22 full-time officers. The department has reported no violent crimes in the past year, with most incidents involving drunk driving, larceny, or inappropriate behavior. In 2023, the department responded to over 14,000 calls, issued 2,400 citations, and wrote an additional 10,000 parking tickets. 

Community Services and Programs

The Rochester Police Department is deeply committed to community engagement and offers a range of services, including:

• Community Freege: Free food for anyone in need.
• Drug disposal services: Safe disposal of unused medications.
• Hope Not Handcuffs: Outreach for individuals transitioning from rehab.
• Narcan distribution: Free distribution of opioid overdose reversal kits.
• Child safety seat program: Installation and inspection of car seats.
• Vehicle lockout assistance: Help for those locked out of their cars.
• Citizens and Youth Academy: Educational programs for residents and youth.
• Ride-along experiences: Opportunities to observe police work firsthand.
• Internships: Last year, the department hosted an intern from Germany. 

The department’s biggest challenges lie in parking management and coordinating logistics for major events. Recent events, such as Laignappe, the Hometown Christmas Parade, and the Kris Kringle Market, drew over 100,000 attendees. Thanks to careful planning, these large-scale events remained incident-free. 

Goals for 2025 

The Police Chief has outlined the following priorities for 2025:

1. Establishing a Neighborhood Watch Program.
2. Introducing educational programs to prevent senior scams and human trafficking.
3. Offering home safety inspections.
4. Supporting community reintegration for individuals post-rehabilitation.
5. Collaborating with Rochester Community Schools to develop a Police Cadet Program.
6. Implementing Live 911, a program that streams 911 calls directly to squad cars.

For more details, the department’s annual report is available online.