San Jose Police Chief Mata announces retirement; will take job with Santa Clara County DA
San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata on Tuesday announced his plans to retire from the department so he can take on a new role as investigations bureau chief for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Mata, who became San Jose's top cop in 2021 after starting his career with the department in 1996. His retirement will be effective in March before starting his new position the following month.
"This decision was not easy, but after careful consideration, I believe it is the right time for me to embark on a new role with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office," Mata said in a statement.
"It is essential that the great work San Jose officers do is supported by successful investigations and prosecutions at the District Attorney's office. Like me, our District Attorney believes in providing the highest level of service to our community and I look forward to continuing to do that in a new capacity just across the street," he said.
City Manager Jennifer Maguire said that among Mata's accomplishments as chief, he "increased diversity through the sworn officer ranks; and has made it a pinnacle of his career to build the community's trust and confidence in the Police Department through accountability measures and by managing hundreds of police reforms initiatives."
According to the District Attorney's Office, Mata will replace Moises Reyes, who retired in December after three years in charge of the office's investigations bureau.
"Chief Mata and I both began serving the People of this county three decades ago. We share a vision of a criminal justice system that is safe and fair for all. I could not be more pleased that our public safety team is attracting leaders of Chief Mata's national stature," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.
Mata faced a number of controversies during his tenure as chief, starting with calls for police reform after wide public criticism of police use-of-force during protests against police brutality in 2020 that led to several lawsuits being filed against the department.
The department also became embroiled in another controversy in 2020 after it came to light that retired and active police officers had been involved in racist and anti-Muslim posts in a closed Facebook group. The Santa Clara County DA would dismiss several cases involving those officers.
Mata would also have to reassure the public after a U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigation resulted in federal drug charges against the civilian executive director of the San Jose Police Officers' Association.
More recently, he was forced to take action last November when a series of racist text messages sent by the police officer involved in the 2022 shooting of a Black man at a taqueria surfaced during an internal affairs investigation.
While Mata confirmed that the officer was no longer on the force, he still faced some criticism from the NAACP, who demanded changes at the department. Meanwhile, lawyers for the man who was shot called for criminal charges to be brought against the officer.