Kenosha's police department will go through its leadership change with a familiar face in charge. Deputy Chief Brent Sagedal, 53, has taken over day-to-day operations after Chief Patrick Patton was chosen as the city's next administrator.
Sagedal joined the department in 1999 and worked his way up through patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and inspector before becoming deputy chief. That 27-year career inside the same agency gives him direct experience in many of the jobs he now oversees.
He had been set to retire at the end of 2026, at about the same time Patton was to leave for City Hall. Sagedal instead agreed to stay about another year, moving his retirement date to Jan. 1, 2028, so the department would not lose its two top officers within weeks of each other. He has said he does not plan to seek the permanent chief's job.
Patton, who joined the department in January 2006 and keeps the chief's title through Dec. 31, praised Sagedal as approachable, fair and dependable, and said asking him to put off a well-earned retirement was difficult. Inspector Aaron Dilhoff, 46, who has served since March 2004, also backed the move, saying he trusts Sagedal's decision-making, values and ethics.
The Kenosha Police and Fire Commission will run the search for a permanent chief. That search is expected to start in 2027, with a possible appointment by late summer or early fall, and Sagedal's extended stay is meant to give the commission time for a full process while department initiatives continue.
