Two Officers Promoted to Sergeant in the Kennewick Police Department

"The two most important things we do at the Kennewick Police Department is who we hire and who we promote. These two things define who we are as an agency today and into the future" - Chief Ken Hohenberg

KPD has announced promotions for two outstanding men to the rank of sergeant.

Get our free mobile app

The posting was made earlier today on the KPD Facebook page.

It's been a busy week of swearing, er, swearing in at KPD HQ. Earlier in the week, the two newest officers to join the force, one from Finley, the other originally from Florida, took the oath to protect and to serve, and earlier this morning two veteran officers were promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Sergeant Steve Thatsana grew up in Richland, WA, where he flew high as a Falcon, attending Hanford High School. After graduation, he joined the Army, serving three years in the military. He started his career in law enforcement with the Pasco Police Department in November of 2002, spending 12 years in various specialty assignments.

He started with the Kennewick Police Department on April 16, 2016 and is currently serving as a patrol officer and OIC (Officer in Charge) on B-Squad. During his tenure with KPD, Thatsana has served as a Taser Instructor, PTO (Police Training Officer), Patrol Tactics Instructor and a member of the Tri-City Regional SWAT Team. He likes working out in his off time and enjoys spending time with his family.

Sergeant Chris Bennett attended and graduated from Newport High School and Spokane Community College. Chris came to the Kennewick Police Department on January 16, 2004 after securing his degree in Criminal Justice. He has served the department in the roles officer and detective for the past 17 and-a-half years.

Bennett is currently the OIC (Officer in Charge) for D-Squad. He has served on the Traffic Unit, Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) and the Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force. He is certified and is an instructor for Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), Emergency Vehicle Operations course (EVOC) and a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). Like Thatsana, Bennett enjoys working out and spending time with his family.