Aaron Garza selected as Othello Police Chief
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 weeks, 4 days AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 20, 2026 5:35 PM
OTHELLO — New Othello Police Chief Aaron Garza said he likes serving his community.
“I have a strong sense of service, and that formulated when I decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. I was in the Marine Corps for four years, and being able to serve was something that instilled a lot of pride and a lot of duty inside of me,” he said.
Garza was sworn in as the new chief at the Jan. 8 Othello City Council meeting. He had been working as the interim chief since Dave Rehaume announced his retirement at the end of November 2025. Garza had been the assistant chief prior to being named as the interim.
He’s a veteran of the Othello Police Department, joining after his military service. Othello was the place he started his career, he said, and he wanted to stay there.
“This is where I grew up. I’m proud of Othello and I’m proud of the people that are here,” he said. “I want to serve in the greatest way I can.”
A native of Othello, he saw no reason to leave, he said.
“I think your law enforcement career can start and finish wherever you want it to start and finish. We have a lot of officers here that plan on making Othello their career agency,” Garza said. “Othello is a smaller agency, so I can see the possible attraction to go to a larger agency. But you know what? That's not for everybody. It definitely wasn't for me. My sense of duty – just like it is for many of the officers we have here – is devoted to Othello, and I don't have any problem with saying that. I think it's actually quite honorable to finish your career where you started, especially if you come from here, which is my case.”
He’s held most jobs at OPD, working as a patrol officer and detective, school resource officer and patrol sergeant, as well as assistant chief.
He wants to build on OPD’s existing foundation, Garza said.
“I plan to make it better. I plan to give my officers better training, better equipment, more opportunities within this agency so they can live out their full potential,” he said. “Make them better, more well-rounded police officers, so that they can go and serve the community. That's our whole intent here, is to serve the community, to make it safer.”
Othello officers are committed to improving their skills.
“They're eager, they're young. They want to serve. They want to receive training. They have a desire to do better. And that is something as chief police, I admire and I'm happy that we have the staff that come to work wanting to do better every day,” Garza said.
Othello resembles a lot of other cities its size when it comes to the type of crimes committed, he said.
“We don't have a lot of the (same) challenges as bigger cities, where they have serious felony crimes that happen daily. That's something we don't have,” Garza said. “And I attribute that to the type of people that we have here in Othello. We have good, hard-working individuals here who take pride in what they do, and they want to raise a family.”
Garza said he’s looking forward to the job.
“We have a great police department filled with great people that truly dedicate themselves to keeping Othello safe. And I am excited for what's to come,” he said.
New Othello Police Chief Aaron Garza (center back) with Shop With a Cop participants in December.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Moses Lake officials working to correct audit issues
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are working to correct errors identified by the Washington State Auditor’s Office and catch up on delayed audits. Municipal Finance Director Madeline Prentice said city officials are working to have the delayed audits for 2023 and 2024 submitted by May. “Trying to get caught up on the audits is our first priority,” Prentice said. “We have actually brought in an outside accounting firm to assist us with that.”
Wheeler roundabout construction scheduled for Feb 23
MOSES LAKE — If the weather cooperates, construction will begin Feb. 23 on a roundabout at the intersection of Road L Northeast and East Wheeler Road. Moses Lake’s financial contribution to the project is about $81,000. Contributions by other stakeholders in the project was not immediately available.
Moses Lake residents asked to weigh in on financial priorities
MOSES LAKE — With the Moses Lake City Council working on a financial plan that will require what council member Jeremy Davis said will be hard decisions, city officials want to hear which services residents think are the most important.