SJPD Deputy Chief To Take Over As Sunnyvale's New Public Safety Chief

SUNNYVALE, CA – A San Jose deputy police chief serving for more than 25 years will lead Sunnyvale's Department of Public Safety starting next year.

Phan Ngo, currently deputy chief of field operations with San Jose police, was selected to head the department following a months-long search and is expected to start on Jan. 2, city officials said Monday.

He will be responsible for nearly 300 personnel in the department that provides police, fire and emergency medical services. The agency also works in animal control, code enforcement and vehicle abatement.
City Manager Deanna Santana offered the job to Ngo, who still needs to pass background checks for the position.

"Phan is a seasoned leader with an incredible breadth of experience which is a tremendous asset to any organization," Santana said in a statement.

"He is well-known for collaborating and achieving results so I have deep confidence in his ability to lead our integrated public safety services," she said.

In his current job, Ngo is responsible for about 700 workers under the field operations bureau that responds to emergency and non-emergency calls throughout San Jose.

He has worked in public safety for 27 years with San Jose, where he has also headed the department's administration, investigations and technical services bureaus, according to city officials.

He has supervised between 124 and 700 employees and operating budgets of up to $190 million, city officials said.

Ngo has taken a variety of responsibilities related to emergency response, internal affairs, budget planning, public safety programs, hiring and other areas, according to city officials.

He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from San Jose State University and a master's degree in criminal justice from Boston University.

He is a member of the Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Commission and part of many public safety executive boards, according to city officials.

San Jose and the county have acknowledged Ngo for his work in the Vietnamese community, city officials said.

"Sunnyvale is a vibrant and diverse community and has a highly experienced, talented city administration," Ngo said in a statement. "I'm truly looking forward to joining the team and building on the Department of Public Safety's excellent customer service and community engagement reputation," he said.

Ngo will be taking over for Frank Grgurina, who has been chief since November 2011 and plans on retiring from his 30-year law enforcement career in December, city officials said.

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--Bay City News/Image via SDPS