Former Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh will help a city in southwestern Riverside County build its own police department.
Walsh has been hired as the inaugural chief for Menifee as the city looks to form its own department, and he was appointed from a pool of 49 applicants spanning nine states and two nations, City Manager Armando G. Villa said.
“We are very confident we found the ideal leader for the new Menifee Police Department,” Villa said. “Chief Walsh has an outstanding reputation, an impressive track record, and sets the bar high for Menifee’s Police Department.
“As a visionary leader, he is an experienced team builder and expert communicator who acts with the highest level of respect, fairness and compassion,” Villa added.
Walsh has the attributes and characteristics of a police chief identified by the community members in a workshop in January, Villa said.
“He is the best fit for the needs of the Menifee community, and our new Police Department,” Villa added.
Walsh led the Lompoc Police Department for more than four years and in January, abruptly announced his intent to resign once his replacement had been named. Lompoc’s new chief, Joe Mariani, was named in late February
“Working together with Menifee’s executive team, the City Council, and Menifee’s growing community, we will create a safe, respectful and inclusive culture where people come first,” Walsh said.
“There is a lot of work to be done with starting a new police department, and I am very excited, and humbled, to be appointed as the inaugural Police Chief and can’t wait to get started,” he added.
He will officially join the Menifee staff on April 2. He will be sworn in as Menifee’s first police chief once the state-mandated peace officer clearance process is complete.
The Menifee City Council voted in the fall to form its own police department in a money-saving move after contracting with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services.
Walsh will provide 35 years of law enforcement experience to Menifee with a career that began with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1984.
He worked for the Portland Police Bureau for 22 years, including being assigned to a federal drug interdiction task force and earning a commendation for his work dismantling a multi-state drug distribution ring.
Over the two decades, he rose through ranks and held a number of assignments with the Portland agency.
He joined the Lompoc Police Department as chief in September 2014.
Walsh and his wife of 34 years, Catherine, plan to make their home in Menifee.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.