Retired San Luis Police Chief Rich Jessup Dies After Cancer Battle

Rich Jessup, the retired chief of the San Luis Police Department who shaped the department for years before stepping down in 2023, died after battling advanced cancer, the department announced on Facebook.

The San Luis Police Department described Jessup as "a dedicated leader and a mentor to many within the department," words that drew an immediate response from city leadership. San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel offered condolences to his family and spoke directly to what Jessup meant to the border community he served. "He took care of the department and he took care of our residents in San Luis. He's going to be missed," Riedel said.

Those who served under Jessup remembered him as someone whose influence extended well beyond departmental policy. Colleagues described him as a cornerstone of stability for the SLPD, a leader who invested personally in the officers and community members around him, guided as much by compassion as by command authority. His retirement in 2023 closed a chapter for a department that bore the mark of his tenure in its culture and institutional identity.

A GoFundMe campaign created earlier this month to help Jessup's family had raised more than $13,500 toward a $16,000 goal at the time of the department's announcement. The fundraiser reflects the depth of support Jessup cultivated across the San Luis community during his time leading the department.

No funeral or memorial service details have been announced by the department as of this reporting.