Randy Stegmeier leaving as WWU police chief; Darin Rasmussen interim chief

Randy Stegmeier will be leaving his position as chief of Police/director of Public Safety at Western Washington University on Sept. 27 to take the position of manager of security for the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority.

Stegmeier will be succeeded by current Assistant Chief Darin Rasmussen, who will serve as Western’s chief of Police/director of Public Safety for up to one year, pending appointment of a permanent chief/director.

“We greatly appreciate the excellent work by Randy Stegmeier. He brought extensive experience and the utmost professionalism to his duties at Western. We wish him well in his next endeavors,” said Rich Van Den Hul, vice president for Business and Financial Affairs at Western.

Stegmeier has been police chief at Western since 2008, after service as executive director of Safety/Security, Facilities and Capital Projects at Shoreline Community College in Seattle; commander of the Washington State Law Enforcement Academy and as assistant chief of the University of Washington Police Department. In his new job with Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), Stegmeier will oversee a security team of 18 fulltime security personnel augmented by off-duty Seattle Police officers, for nine acres of downtown Seattle managed by the PDA that includes dozens of restaurants and over 200 businesses.

“Western has been the absolute highlight of my law enforcement career, and I will miss this campus community and the fine people with whom I have been blessed to work,” Stegmeier said. “However, the PDA presented me with an opportunity I could not turn down.”

Rasmussen has a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command in 2007. He has served as assistant chief at Western since 2012. Prior to that, he served with the Marysville Police Department for over 22 years, including as lieutenant, detective sergeant and accreditation manager.

At the Marysville Police Department, Rasmussen’s accomplishments included reorganizing the Marysville Volunteer Program to focus on crime prevention; developing and implementing a Burglary Strike Team; and collaborating with the Marysville Community Coalition, Marysville School District and city offices to present a series of community forums focused on safety and emergency preparedness. He also served as an adjunct faculty member for Everett Community College from 2001 through 2008, teaching subjects such as Professional Development, Police Patrol Operations and Criminal Investigations. He also has received numerous awards and recognitions.

“I have big shoes to fill with Chief Stegmeier leaving but am very excited to continue to bring the same high level of professionalism and strong commitment to the safety of our campus community,” Rasmussen said.