On Tuesday, Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Col. Heston Silbert stunned staff when he announced he will retire from his post effective Friday.
Silbert has served as the department’s head since April 2020.
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to have served the men and women of the Department of Public Safety and the citizens of this great state,” Silbert said in a press release. “As director I observed firsthand the selflessness, dedication and bravery of our Arizona State Troopers and professional staff.”
Silbert’s announcement comes only one day after Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs was sworn into office.
While Hobbs has been silent on just who might succeed Silbert, in Democratic Party circles the money is on fellow Democrat, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, who has had a very rocky tenure in his time as Sheriff, and who is facing a potentially tough re-election bid in 2024.