Post Falls police chief announces retirement after 26 years with department

Post Falls police Chief Pat Knight has announced his retirement effective in August after 26 years with the department, according to a Post Falls Police Department news release.

Knight, a graduate of Coeur d’Alene High School, was first hired as a patrol officer in Post Falls, the release said.

Knight made $10.03 per hour when he started and was “on cloud nine,” he said in the release.

By 1996, he had landed a spot as one of the department’s first motorcycle officers.

Knight climbed the ranks from detective to captain to assistant chief before becoming chief of police in 2018, the release said.

He’s also seen the department grow. In 1994, Post Falls police responded to 14,188 calls for service. By 2021, the average number of calls yearly had risen to 40,000.

During his time as chief, Knight graduated from the FBI National Academy and was named Post Falls Chamber Citizen of the Year.

“It has been a sincere pleasure to work with Chief Knight,” Mayor Ron Jacobson said in the release.