Changing of the Guard: EPD Gets New Police Chief and Promotes and Recognizes Officers During Ceremony Late Last Week

Sunday, 7 January 2024, 12:05 am Kym Kemp 6 comments

EPD he change of command promotion and awards ceremony where Assistant Chief Brian Stephens will be taking the position of Chief of Police,

EPD Chief Brian Stephens has his new badge pinned on by his son Andrew. [All photos and some of the reporting by Mark McKenna]

Thursday, January 4th at the Sequoia Conference Center, Eureka Police Department had a changing of the guard. EPD Chief Todd Jarvis said goodbye to the assembled officers who had made up his team for the last two years and the previous Assistant Chief Brian Stephens (who has served the EPD for 25 years) took command as the new chief. In addition, multiple officers were recognized for their actions and some were promoted.

Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel swears in Chief Brian Stephens. She told those assembled that “his integrity is beyond reproach.”

When addressing the crowd and making his final remarks as their leader, Jarvis said that when he first started, he was told by many in the department that Brian Stephens was the glue that held the department together. In what was perhaps a sign of how tough a job he faced, at the end of his remarks, he paused and looked at Stephens and asked him if he still wanted to do this…

New Chief Stephens eventually addressed the crowd saying in his remarks, “I’ve always been taught to leave everything better than you found it, and at every opportunity to elevate your position and take it to the next level…I will continue to ensure we, EPD, are leading the way in policing.”

Below are some images from the event:

EPD Officers applaud after Chief Brian Stephens had his new badge pinned on him by his son Andrew.

Officer Dimitrios Tagaropoulos, left, was awarded the Guardian Award for his use of de-escalation techniques after an encounter where a man having a mental health episode and was waving a meat cleaver. He was one of several officers do receive accommodations during the ceremony.

Outgoing EPD Chief Todd Jarvis hugs new Chief Brian Stephens after Stephens took the oath of office.

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tru matters

2 years ago

Stephens is of the old guard. A leopard can’t change his spots.

-1

justsayin

Reply to tru matters

Yes he was but times have changed and apparently, he has adapted with them. So judge him by how he performs now, not by what you heard he did 20 years ago…… who hasn’t made mistakes in their life?

steve

Reply to justsayin

There are a lot of things that EPD does that does not require a sworn office to to do.
One example are dog walking people, they are eyes and ears of the community. This century’s version of crime-stoppers program.