Sunnyvale Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo will hang up his belt this April, ending his 36-year career in law enforcement in Santa Clara County and prompting the city to search for a new head public safety officer.
During his eight-year stint at the department, Ngo, 58, led the city through its COVID-19 emergency response and several high-profile police cases. He also oversaw several new programs related to recruiting officers and modernizing the department’s headquarters, while bolstering community engagement in the city by creating the Youth Leadership Academy and Public Safety Citizens Academy.
An interim chief will be appointed while officials search for Ngo’s replacement, according to the city.
“It’s been an honor to be the chief here,” Ngo said. “Since day one I have been fully embraced by the community, supported by the officers and supported by the council. Its been everything that I could want in a position to lead a public safety department.”
Ngo was selected for the role in 2017 after Sunnyvale conducted a national search to replace outgoing Chief Frank Grgurina. Previously, Ngo served 27 years at the San Jose Police Department in a variety of roles.
He is also a member of several boards including the Santa Clara County and California Police Chiefs Association, and has been recognized by San Jose and Santa Clara County for being a champion for the area’s prominent Vietnamese population.
The new chief will oversee 293 sworn and non-sworn personnel, who provide a range of services including emergency response, fire prevention, animal control, vehicle abatement, crime prevention and code enforcement. The city’s public safety has an integrated police and fire department, with all officers receiving police, fire and EMT training.
Ngo said he hopes the next chief will continue to build trust with the community and keep the department adequately staffed. The new leader also will be in charge of overseeing the rebuilding of Fire Station 2, which serves as a regional training center for firefighters in the city and throughout Santa Clara County, and study ways the department can increase the city’s paramedic support.
Recruitment for the Sunnyvale Public Safety Chief will open in the next two weeks and will close by the end of April. The salary for the position is between $337,052 and $404,463, according to the job listing.
In the meantime, the city is encouraging Sunnyvale residents to fill out a survey to share their thoughts on what qualities they want the next chief to have.
In a statement, City Manager Tim Kirby said Ngo will be remembered for ” his resolute work in our community, vigorously supporting both first responders and fostering a culture of community partnership.”
“Chief Ngo gave his heart to the job, helping to lead our city through a worldwide pandemic and standing as a fierce advocate for our extremely successful public safety model,” Kirby said. “On behalf of city employees and the residents of Sunnyvale, we wish him the best on his next chapter.”