Eureka Police Department Shake Up: Jarvis Retires, Stephens Promoted
Press release from the City of Eureka:
Eureka Police outgoing Chief, Todd Jarvis
At last night’s Council meeting, City Manager Slattery announced Chief Todd Jarvis retirement from the City of Eureka’s Police Department. Chief Jarvis will be leaving the department on January 4, 2024, two years after he started his position, originally as Interim Chief, on January 3, 2022. Manager Slattery stated, “Chief Jarvis and his wealth of experience saw our City and the Police department through a very tumultuous time in the City’s history. His forward leaning leadership during the last two years will leave a lasting legacy in Eureka”.
Manager Slattery also announced that Assistant Chief Brian Stephens will promote to the position of Chief of Police effective with Chief Jarvis’s retirement. Chief Stephens began his career at Eureka Police Department in February of 1999 as an officer. Prior to beginning his law enforcement career, Chief Stephens served 5 years in the United States Army as a Military Police Officer. For the past 25 years, Chief Stephens has worked his way through the ranks of Eureka Police Department serving as a Field Training Officer, Instructor of Defensive Tactics and Chemical Agents, and a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics team. After spending more than 4 years as a Special Agent with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, Chief Stephens returned to EPD and promoted to Sergeant. In November of 2014, he was appointed Captain and in October of 2022 promoted to Assistant Chief.
Chief Stephens holds a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Management Certificate, graduated from the FBI National Academy in June of 2018 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. City Manager Slattery stated “Chief Brian Stephens commitment and dedication to the community has been unwavering during his career with Eureka. I look forward to working with him as our new Chief of Police and watching him continue to move Eureka Police Department forward”.
Mayor Bergel commented “It is with a grateful heart that I to say goodbye to Chief Jarvis. I appreciate Chief Jarvis stepping in during a difficult time for our City. His forward thinking and guidance have moved our department to a new level. It is bittersweet to goodbye; however, I am so happy for our City to welcome Chief Stephens. I have worked with him on many levels and am excited to work with him in his new role as Chief. I know that he will continue to serve our community with respect and empathy as our new Chief of police. Congratulations Chief Stephens!”
The Eureka City Council will confirm the City Manager’s appointment of Brian Stephens as Chief of Police at the December 19, 2023 Regular Council meeting.
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Wow. How many does this make in the last twenty years?
Not sure this is a shake up just a other chief retiring and down the road. Nothing new here.
Let’s hope this one believes in putting traffic cops on the streets.
I can assure you traffic enforcement is not a priority of Stephens’ He is more traditional “Drugs are always the problem.” I know Slaterry makes a big deal out of his community minded spirit and service. I think we,ll find that is not necessarily the case.
Never worked traffic a day in his life
Two (years) and done, pretty common to max out your retirement benefits. At least he didn’t get “Chief’s Disease” and go out on a medical as has sometimes happened in other public safety departments.
Takes 5 years. He was already on retirement from San Diego
It will surprise me if he does anything at all to improve Eureka, just like the last several Chiefs. Ever since EPD started refusing to patrol, the city has become worse.
Not that it matters to EPD, the ECC or the Mayor, but to be a town worth being a part of requires taking back the streets. If we are to take any of them serious, they must start by getting traffic under control, pedestrians under control, bicycle riders under control. To the average person, the special interests you serve mean nothing. Feeling safe while driving, walking, riding, shopping, eating, working is what matters to the general population. None of these are part of any plan by EPD or the ECC, at least, if any are they should be embarrassed to claim it is. The grade for all of the above is a big bold F. They admit they don’t do anything but respond to calls for service. The truth is, if they got off their lazy asses and were visible, actively working the streets to deal with the streets of hell we face every day, progress could and would be made. Without this emphasis, Eureka is never going to be a town that is safe to be in.
It’s amazing how they can “sweep up” the problem areas when a cruise ship comes in so the tourists don’t see what Eureka is really like. Then it goes back to business as usual. It’s amazing how many officers were at the July 4 festival showing off their various uniforms. If there are that many available for a few hour festival, then they should be available to take the streets back the other 364 days of the year.
I know, this whole comment will fall on the very deaf ears of EPD and the ECC. They have been deaf to citizen outrage on these issues for decades. They have gotten two recent grants to increase patrol and, I’m sure this has all been squandered on other special internet crap, since there’s still no patrol.
To be clear the issue isn’t the officers. Who may I add work weeks on end without days off. Who are ran into the ground only to get hit with frivolous IA investigations because someone got their feelings hurt. Give the guys days off and may they will improve? CSET needs to be disbanded and put back to patrol to help. Maybe the admin staff should pull some patrol shifts? It comes down to needing more staff, what attracts people? A family feel? Admin having their back? Good equipment? A community that doesn’t treat its cops like crap? They have to ask a $50k signing bonus because people don’t wanna work there. It’s more than just money. The admin has failed the EPD officers, and in turn the community as a whole.
I agree there are a handful of good officers. I have nothing but respect for them. However, most Sargent and above have nothing but overinflated egos. It is also very true that the “management” is nothing but a bad joke. I have made the mistake of trusting EPD one to many times, and corruption, false accusation of crimes has been the result. Without a complete overhaul on every level, there’s no way they will ever receive my trust, and never will I have anything to say to them if questioned.
Someone needs to listen to Citizenz