Martinez Announces Retirement Of Police Chief Manjit Sappal

MARTINEZ, CA — Martinez Police Chief Manjit Sappal has decided to retire after serving as the city's top cop for the last six and a half years, the city announced.

Thursday marked Sappal's last day in law enforcement, capping 26 years of service to several communities as an officer.

Under Sappal's leadership, Martinez Police Department processes were modernized and a variety of public safety challenges including homelessness were addressed, city officials said.

Martinez became the first city in Contra Costa County to help people experiencing homelessness on a personal level. The city partnered with the county to assess Martinez’s homeless population and find proactive strategies specific to each person’s situation. Sappal assigned an officer to work with each unsheltered person to ensure they were on a stable path toward permanent housing and ensure their needs were met, such as weekly showers in Martinez coordinated by Bay Church.

"Chief Sappal has been a cornerstone of the Martinez Police Department for many years," Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder said. "His deep commitment to our City, staff, officers and community set him apart and enabled him to accomplish important community milestones. His balance of knowledge, foresight and experience will be missed."

Sappal spent his early law enforcement career with the Pittsburg Police Department, then served with the Richmond Police Department for 18 years where he rose through the ranks to become captain.

Throughout his career, Sappal gained experience in a variety of different assignments, including Patrol, SWAT, High-Risk Entry Team, Homicide Investigator, Guns and Gang Detective, METRO Unit, Mobile Field Force Team Member, Crime Analysis/CompStat Manager, and Internal Affairs Commander.

While working as a police officer, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University and graduated with the highest honors.

After graduating from the FBI National Academy and Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, Sappal was selected as the chief of police for the Martinez Police Department.

To create a police department that mirrored the values of the community, Sappal was heavily involved in the hiring process to ensure each member of the department was dedicated to serving all members of the public and prioritizing community needs.

"I have been fortunate enough to work closely with Chief Sappal for the last three years, and it has been inspiring to watch him successfully forge trusted relationships between the Department and the Martinez community," Martinez City Manager Eric Figueroa said. "Chief Sappal’s leadership will be missed, and we will work hard to maintain his standard of excellence and continue his vision and legacy into the next era."

The city will bring in an interim chief while it conducts an executive search for Sappal's successor.

"It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve the Martinez community as their Chief of Police," Sappal said. "I will always cherish the memories of working with men and women who go above and beyond to keep our community safe. Even in times of adversity, our folks have worked hard to build meaningful relationships with community members and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to public safety each day. Although I will miss my colleagues and the Martinez community, I am confident the city is in good hands and will continue its strong record of public safety."