Santa Barbara City Police Chief Cam Sanchez announced Wednesday he will retire next February after 15 years at the helm. The longest-serving police chief in the state, Sanchez, who is 63, was in a serious car accident on southbound Highway 101 when a tire smashed into his windshield earlier this month. He suffered a concussion. He has been back to work on and off since then, and his recovery is expected to take a few weeks.
In his email, distributed by City Administrator Paul Casey, Sanchez said the incident shed light on how short and precious life is. “I want to enjoy it to the fullest,” he said.
On October 13, Sanchez expressed frustration during a Santa Barbara City Council meeting after claims were made department-wide that morale was low. He told councilmembers the police station was in poor condition and lacked parking for staff. He is 19 officers short, and his existing officers are stretched thin. “I have no more room for negativity in my department,” he said at the council last week. “I’m tired of it.”