City Of Claremont: Chief Vander Veen Retires After 28 Years

Press release from the City of Claremont:

09/30/2021 4:00 PM

Claremont Police Chief Shelly Vander Veen announced today that she will be retiring from the Claremont Police Department. Chief Vander Veen’s last day will be November 10, 2021.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to have served the City of Claremont for 28 years, starting off as a Reserve Police Officer in 1993 and ending my career as Police Chief.  The integrity, teamwork, and professionalism of our Police Department has been rewarding and inspirational,” said Chief Vander Veen.

In her many years with the Department, Chief Vander Veen has proven a dedication to the Claremont community and a commitment to ensuring the safety of all Claremont residents, students, businesses, and visitors. She exemplifies the spirit of community-based policing and has made it her mission to promote a culture of inclusion and respect in the Department.

Chief Vander Veen grew up locally in Chino, where her family was active in the dairy industry. Following high school, Shelly received her associate’s degree in Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Siena Heights University in Michigan.

While attending Siena Heights University, Chief Vander Veen was honored as an All-American Soccer Player and an Academic All-American in both soccer and softball. For her athletic achievements, she was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Her natural athleticism and desire to make a difference in her community made law enforcement a perfect fit. In 1993, she began her career with the Claremont Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer. Her hard work and potential was quickly recognized and she was hired as a full-time Police Officer shortly after.

Chief Vander Veen was an Officer for seven years assigned to patrol where she got to know the community and became an integral part of the Department. She was promoted to Corporal and assigned to the Detective Bureau for three years. She was promoted to Sergeant and assigned for three years as a Field Supervisor and one year in the Administrative Services Bureau.

She served as a Lieutenant for seven years, with five years supervising the Detective Bureau and two years as a Watch Commander in the Patrol Bureau. She was then promoted to Captain in 2014 where she managed and led the Operations Division along with holding the responsibilities of budget, program, and policy management.

On November 28, 2016, Chief Vander Veen was sworn in as Claremont’s Police Chief following the retirement of Paul Cooper. Under her leadership for the past five years, the Claremont Police Department has continued to be a respected example of modern policing in Los Angeles County. Her engagement with the community led to the establishment of innovative and compassionate programs and policies for mental health and homeless response calls.  

Throughout her career in law enforcement, Chief Vander Veen has continued to pursue higher education and law enforcement certifications. She completed the eight-month POST Supervisory Leadership Institute, the 18-month POST Command College, and the POST Executive Development programs.

During her career at Claremont Police Department, she was selected by her peers as the Officer of the Year twice, was selected four times as the Police Department’s Supervisor of the Year, and received the City Employee of the Year award for 2013. She also received the Department’s Award of Excellence three times, along with The Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal.  In 2019, Chief Vander Veen was awarded the 41st Assembly District’s “Woman of Distinction” by Assemblyman Chris Holden.

“I would like to express my most sincere thanks to Chief Vander Veen for her years of outstanding service to the community. I have had the pleasure of working with Shelly for over 18 years, and I can honestly say she is one of the most well-respected, hardworking, and caring individuals that I have had the pleasure to work with,” said City Manager Adam Pirrie.  “While her leaving is a big loss for Claremont, Shelly has made it her goal to mentor and train her management team to ensure a smooth transition. The Police Department’s management team is prepared and ready to keep the Department moving in a positive direction.”

This press release was produced by the City of Claremont. The views expressed here are the author’s own.