Lake Elsinore honors retiring Captain Jim Rales; Captain Marcus Boyd named successor

The Lake Elsinore City Council honored Captain Jim Rales of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department with a certificate of recognition and gifts on Tuesday, thanking him for his leadership and years of service at the Lake Elsinore Station.

Mayor/chair read a certificate recounting Rales’ career: he began in 1996 as a correctional deputy at the Robert Presley Detention Center, served as a patrol deputy and member of a special enforcement team at the Lake Elsinore Station, was promoted to investigator in 2006 and to lieutenant in 2017, returned to Lake Elsinore Station in 2020, and attained the rank of captain in 2022. The certificate (read into the record) listed honors including a commendation award in 2003, a unit citation in 2006 and a sheriff’s commendation in 2007.

Councilmembers and staff praised Rales for steady leadership during difficult incidents and for being responsive to constituent concerns. Councilman Sheridan and Mayor Pro Tem McGee both thanked Rales for his service; Councilmember Johnson called him a ‘‘gentleman and a hard worker’’ and noted his participation in the city’s state-of-the-city event.

Captain Rales addressed the council, saying it had been “an honor to serve you the past 5 years,” and that he had “almost 12 and a half, almost 13 years total serving the city of Lake Elsinore” across many ranks. While accepting gifts and a plaque, Rales introduced Captain Marcus Boyd as his replacement; Boyd said he was “looking forward to it” and that he had previously served as a lieutenant in Lake Elsinore before assignments elsewhere.

Council and staff presented a plaque and retirement items and posed for photographs. The council’s remarks emphasized appreciation for Rales’ leadership and wished him well in retirement.