Pismo Beach police chief announces retirement
PISMO BEACH, Calif. - The chief of the Pismo Beach Police Department is retiring. Chief Jake Miller announced his retirement Tuesday with a final date set for April 1.
Miller has been chief of the Pismo Beach Police Department since August 2014. He's held numerous other roles with the department since his original hiring in 1994.
"During the past 27 years he has promoted through every rank in the agency and was the first Chief of Police in the department’s history to do so," the City of Pismo Beach said in a press release. "During his tenure, he worked in the Patrol and Traffic Divisions, as well as the Investigations Bureau. He has held assignments including Motor Officer, Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, Arrest and Control Instructor, Detectives, SWAT Operator, Team Leader, and Tactical Commander for the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT Team."
Miller, a Cal Poly grad and an Eagle Scout, has been an instructor with the police academy for the last 24 years and has been an advocate for continued training and instruction, the city said.
“For 27 years, Jake served the community with honor and distinction. He embodies integrity and professionalism and models the highest standards for a law enforcement professional,” said City Manager Jim Lewis in a news release. “Chief Miller was able to connect with the community through his wit and élan to engage and connect like few other executives.”
Miller and his wife are longtime residents of Pismo Beach and has raised children in the city. Miller called the opportunity to serve his whole law enforcement career in Pismo Beach "a blessing."
“Having the opportunity and privilege to be a police officer was only surpassed by the ability to perform it over an entire career here in Pismo Beach. To be honored with leading the agency, that was truly a blessing even I was not sure I deserved every day. My depth of gratitude is not expressible to our entire community, the City Council, and the men and women of the Pismo Beach Police Department. It truly is the finest police department in the nation,” said Miller.
Pismo Beach will now begin a recruiting process to hire a new chief. That process is expected to take several months.
Miller is the latest law enforcement chief to announce retirement. Over the last 12 months, several high-profile leaders in the law enforcement community retired or took new positions. Santa Maria's police chief announced his retirement in November and San Luis Obispo's police chief took a new position in Fairfield. Oxnard's chief of police retired in December, Atascadero and Arroyo Grande police chiefs retired this past summer. Additionally, fire chiefs for Santa Maria, Santa Barbara and Cal Fire San Luis Obispo have also announced retirements in the last several weeks.
