There's now a new sergeant on the Liberty Lake Police Department. On March 1, Master Police Officer Mark Holthaus was officially promoted to the rank of sergeant -- bringing the number of sergeants on the local police force to four.
Holthaus joined the Liberty Lake Police Department in 2017 and has been serving as a school resource officer at Ridgeline High School. He is also a National Association of School Resource Officers practitioner -- something that requires working as a school resource officer for at least 3 years, completing the NASRO 40-hour basic training course, completing the NASRO 24-hour Advanced SRO or Supervisors & Management training course, and completing an additional 160 hours of specialized police in-service training.
"Sgt. Holthaus' history of displaying his strong work ethic is evident in one of his many outstanding accomplishments, achieving the status of National Association of School Resource Officers practitioner," said Police Chief Damon Simmons in his remarks during the promotion ceremony. "There is no doubt that both our agency and community will continue to reap the benefits of the job and leadership that Sgt. Holthaus exhibits. Our leadership team is excited to welcome [him] to our table.
Before coming to Liberty Lake, Holthaus worked with the Washington State Patrol, the Lakewood Police Department, and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. He was also on active duty in the U.S. Army for seven years, plus five years in the Army Reserves.