The chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has been named Pelham’s new police chief.

Pelham Mayor Gary Waters on Tuesday announced the appointment of Maj. Brent Sugg. City council members approved the hire at its regular meeting on Monday night.

“The hiring process was thorough and comprehensive,” Waters said in a press release. “The search drew qualified candidates from across the country, and we got the best of the best.”

Sugg replaces Chief Pat Cheatwood who announced in January he was retiring effective March 1. Sugg will take the helm on April 19.

In 2019, then-Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Scully appointed Sugg as the 28th Chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. During his tenure as chief, Sugg established operational policies and procedures, created legislation that promoted public safety, incorporated measures to streamline investigations, and managed the implementation of new technology.

When Commissioner Scully left office in 2021, Sugg was named major and zone commander.

Sugg began his law enforcement career in 1994 with the City of Norman, Oklahoma. In 1999, he joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, serving as a field training trooper and a member of OHP’s tactical and emergency response teams.

In 2008, Sugg was promoted to lieutenant and patrol supervisor. In 2013, he achieved the rank of captain, assuming command of Troop A Field Operations, the training section for the OHP and the Department of Public Safety.

He also served as commander of the Criminal Investigations Section, the Office of Professional Standards Division, and Emergency Services.

Sugg has bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a master’s degree in administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a graduate of the 275th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.