By the Daily Post staff
Los Altos police Chief Andy Galea is retiring after 12 years with the city and four years as chief.
Galea, 66, said he would retire before the end of the fiscal year on July 1. In the meantime, the city will hire a firm to do a nationwide search, City Manager Gabriel Engeland said.
Galea’s departure makes Los Altos the third city on the mid-Peninsula that will be looking for a new police chief. East Palo Alto’s chief Al Pardini retired at the end of 2021. Palo Alto’s chief Bob Jonsen is going to retire, but his departure date has not been announced.
Galea was “the perfect chief” for Los Altos, Engeland said.
“He retires leaving behind a great legacy in the community and with his colleagues,” he said.
However, during his tenure the department decided to encrypt its police radios so the public couldn’t monitor police activities.
The state Department of Justice had given police departments two options: Complete encryption or not broadcasting personally identifiable information, like the CHP does. Galea picked the less transparent option and City Council declined to review the decision.
He made $353,132 in total pay and benefits in 2019, the latest year with available data from Transparent California.
Galea was promoted from captain to chief in 2016 when Chief Tuck Younis retired. Before starting in Los Altos in 2009, Galea worked for 31 years with the San Jose Police.