Santa Clara Police Chief Leaving His Post
SANTA CLARA (KCBS) - After more than 30 years in the department, Santa Clara's police chief is retiring later this week, a move that took many by surprise.
Steve Lodge, who's been chief for ten years, informed the city manager of his plans several months ago.
"Now is the right time for me, my family and the department. 30 years in the department and ten years as chief, it's been a great career," he said.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
The 52-year-old Lodge said he believes his single greatest contribution is the people he hired.
"Out of the 135 sworn officers we have on the payroll today, I either hired or promoted 107 of them," said Lodge. "We went out and we looked for the best of the best in the community. We hired them and trained them to become police officers."
Santa Clara is the last city in California to have an elected police chief. The Santa Clara City Council will decide next month when to hold an election to choose Lodge's successor.
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