Assistant chief Joe LeDuc has been appointed as the interim chief of police of the Scottsdale Police Department, effective Jan. 27.

He is replacing former Chief Jeff Walther, who has accepted a position as interim city manager.

LeDuc has been with the Scottsdale Police Department for over 33 years, according to a press release from the Scottsdale Police Department. He became a police officer in 1991, where he was a patrol officer, property crimes detective and homicide detective and served in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration task force. LeDuc was promoted through the ranks, where he supervised the special victims unit and was assigned to the internal affairs unit as a sergeant, the special investigations section as a lieutenant and a commander overseeing two police districts and the municipal jail.

In 2021, LeDuc was promoted to assistant chief of police, where he has proven his leadership for the past four years. He worked closely with Walther to guide the organization’s strategic direction and deliver service to the community by collaboratively working with all divisions in the city and the region.

LeDuc’s knowledge and leadership are shown through the numerous accolades he has received, including multiple police superior performance awards, a meritorious service award, a community policing award, a marksmanship award, the City of Scottsdale Manager’s Award of Excellence for Caring and Compassion, a supervisor of the year award, MASK Magazine’s Dad Dialed In Award and the city manager’s award of excellence for the development and facilitation of a servant leadership course.

“I am honored to serve our community in this capacity and look forward to carrying on the legacy and great leadership of Chief Jeff Walther,” LeDuc said in a written statement.