San Fernando has finally put a name in the top police job, with veteran law enforcement leader Anthony Miranda stepping in as interim chief while the city begins searching for a permanent successor. The appointment gives the department a defined command structure after weeks of transition following Fabian Valdez’s retirement.
Miranda brings more than 35 years of public safety experience in Los Angeles County, including 11 years leading law enforcement agencies and overseeing organizational changes, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. He previously served as police chief in Bell, Irwindale and Vernon, and also worked as a law enforcement liaison for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
City Manager Kanika Kith said Miranda’s background makes him well-suited to guide the San Fernando Police Department during the search. The city had announced in June that Valdez would retire effective June 19 after four years as chief, while John Perez served as acting chief from June 10 through Monday, according to city information reported by the City of San Fernando and the Daily News.
Interim Appointment Resolves Leadership Questions
The appointment also clears up some uncertainty that had surrounded the department’s daily leadership during the transition. In June, the San Fernando Valley Sun reported that city officials had described Perez as helping oversee operations without clearly spelling out who was running daily department briefings and supervision.
San Fernando expects the permanent-chief search to take roughly four to six months, the Daily News reported. The city says residents, businesses, employees and community stakeholders will have multilingual opportunities to offer input, with recruitment updates and participation details to be posted through the city’s website as the process moves forward.
