Longtime Laguna Beach Police Officer Announces Retirement

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Lt. Jim Cota, the longtime spokesperson for the Laguna Beach Police Department, announced Sunday that he will retire on April 4 after nearly 28 years of service.

“After nearly 28 years of service at Laguna Beach PD, I have announced my retirement,” Cota tweeted Sunday. “I will be riding off into the sunset in April. I am excited to start the next chapter in my life. Thank you all so much for the support and keep in touch. I am humbled and forever grateful.”

Cota, 53, of Huntington Beach, has served the LBPD in a number of roles since 1994, just after he graduated from the police academy, according to a Los Angeles Times profile. In addition to serving as the department’s public information officer, Cota has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, corporal, bicycle officer, narcotics detective, and investigations sergeant, according to The Laguna Beach Independent.

He kept the public informed through many fateful incidents, including the death of Nick Vella, a Huntington Beach police officer and close personal friend who was killed when the police helicopter he was riding in crashed into Newport Harbor. Thousands attended Vella’s funeral earlier this month.

Cota told the LA Times that Vella’s death “greatly impacted” his decision to retire. He also said that after devoting half his life to law enforcement, he’s ready to make his family the “top priority.”

“Lt. Cota has been a valued member of this organization for 28 years,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said in a statement reported by the LA Times. “He has received over 70 letters of commendation over this career and has close ties and connections within our organization, and throughout our community. We appreciate his dedication and service to our community, and we wish him the best in a much-deserved retirement.”