James Baker, right, will take over for Angel Cortes, left, as Lima Police Department’s chief later this month.
File photos | The Lima News
LIMA — Angel Cortes, the first Hispanic officer employed by the Lima Police Department and the first Hispanic chief in the history of the LPD, will retire July 26 after 33 years of service.
Major James Baker will be sworn in as Lima’s next police chief and will officially take over those duties on July 27, according to a press release issued by the City of Lima on Monday.
Neither Cortes nor Baker could be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Cortes had announced in April that he planned to retire this year but offered no specific date for his departure at that time. Following the results of a competitive testing process to find a successor, Baker will be ceremonially sworn in by Mayor Sharetta Smith as the city’s next police chief during ceremonies scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17 in city council chambers.
Also promoted as a result of Cortes’ retirement will be Lt. Curt Hile to the position of major, Sgt. Shane Huber to the position of lieutenant and a patrol officer to the position of sergeant once the testing process is completed.
Cortes started his career as a patrolman in 1991 and rose through the ranks until his promotion to chief on June 3, 2022.
During his 33-year career with the Lima Police Department, Cortes served as a field training officer, member and commander of the Hostage Negotiation Team, member, instructor and commander of the Bike Team; sergeant of Precinct Two Community-Oriented Policing, commander of Pro-Active Crime Enforcement Unit) and third shift commander. He was promoted to major in 2012 and assigned to administrative services and then to the detective bureau before being promoted to chief to succeed Kevin Martin.
Cortes was the first minority to hold the police chief position since William Davenport, who was Black, served as chief from 1968 to 1978.
