Sacramento Police Chief Sam Somers Jr. announced his retirement Tuesday, with plans to step down before the end of the year. Somers is leaving the department after more than three decades on Dec. 9, 2016. That will mark the third high-level departure in Sacramento (the mayor, city manager and public works director are also leaving).
“It has truly been an honor and privilege to serve as Sacramento’s Police Chief as there are no better or more professional officers, civilians and command staff than those that serve our community,” Somers said in a statement. “It is my hope that in this period of transition in our community that my official announcement will aid in the City of Sacramento’s planning for the future of its police leadership. Again, it has been an honor.”
Somers said he had been considering retirement for some time and promised his family he would step down before 2017. But his departure comes at a time of intense criticism against Sacramento Police over crime and use-of-force incidents. In particular, the department has been embroiled in controversy over the fatal officer-involved shooting of Joseph Mann in July.
The Sacramento Bee and Fox40 have more details on Somers’ announcement.
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