Overview

• His last day is Dec. 19, with recruitment for a successor starting soon and an interim chief to be named in December.
• Under his tenure the bureau earned its first accreditation, overhauled recruitment, prepared its largest officer class since 2003, and recorded 2024’s lowest homicide rate in more than 40 years with strong case-closure rates.
• Mendez rose through the ranks as a patrol officer, K-9 handler, selective enforcement and SERT member, detective lieutenant over violent crime, platoon leader, and patrol captain.
• Mayor Danene Sorace praised him as a true partner in public safety and thanked him for leading the bureau with distinction.
• Mendez expressed gratitude to department staff and residents, calling service as chief in his hometown a profound honor.