Antioch's new interim police chief to begin on Monday
Antioch police recently welcomed a new interim chief to lead the department.
Acting Chief Brian Addington will start his new position on Monday, city officials announced this week.
"I had the pleasure of meeting with Brian over a month ago, and he seemed committed to stabilizing the department while we search for a permanent Chief committed to non-biased community policing," Antioch City Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker wrote in a Facebook post.
Addington replaces outgoing interim chief Joseph Vigil, who was named acting chief in August 2023 after then-Chief Steven Ford retired amid a federal investigation of the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. That same month, a federal grand jury filed four indictments that collectively charged 10 current and former officers and employees from the Antioch and Pittsburg departments with various crimes.
"I want to thank Acting Chief Vigil for his hard work, and commitment to Antioch, and for stepping into this leadership role during these challenging times as we reimagine public safety," Torres-Walker added.
Addington comes to APD with three decades in law enforcement, including 10 as the chief of police for the Pittsburg Police Department, from which he retired in 2022 to work in the private sector offering consultancy services to law enforcement agencies throughout the state, according to his biography on the city of Antioch's website.
"Throughout his tenure at the Pittsburg Police Department, Chief Addington prioritized transparency and fostering community-police relations," the biography states. "His modernization initiatives resulted in a notable 10% reduction in crime rates and a remarkable 100% increase in departmental diversity."
Addington holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University. He is an FBI National Academy graduate, California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College, and the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.
A ceremony to welcome Addington to the APD will be announced soon.