Retired Modesto Police Chief Harden takes interim role with Sonora police

Former Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden was sworn in Monday night as interim police chief for the city of Sonora.

Sonora Chief Mark Stinson retired in December. He’d been with the department since February 2005 and became chief in December 2008.

During his time in Sonora, Stinson worked in units including homicide, gang, major crimes and school attendance investigations. He also worked with the special weapons and tactics team. He began his law enforcement career as a Modoc County deputy sheriff in 1980 and later worked as a major-crimes investigator with the Red Bluff Police Department and as a supervising investigator with the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office.

Harden was Modesto police chief from June 2009 to August 2012. He started with the MPD as an officer in March 1983 and by November 2003 was deputy chief.

Since his retirement, Harden also has served as interim police chief in Escalon and interim city manager in Hughson.

Most recently, he was Oakdale’s interim police chief – following Lester Jenkins’ retirement – from June through late October, when the city brought on Scott Heller for the permanent job.

In his LinkedIn profile, Harden wrote: “My training, experience and education have allowed me to examine the overall effectiveness of many organizations and to assist police departments in the area of strategic development, team building and organizational effectiveness.”

This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Retired Modesto Police Chief Harden takes interim role with Sonora police."