Turlock hires police chief away from nearby city. What are his priorities?
The Turlock City Council on Tuesday unanimously hired Los Banos Interim Police Chief Jason Hedden to lead the Turlock Police Department beginning Feb. 16.
When he assumes the position 16 months after the retirement of former Chief Nino Amirfar, Hedden said his priorities include community engagement as well as building relationships within the department and with partnering agencies.
“Turlock PD is an incredible organization filled with hardworking, dedicated employees,” Hedden said in a Wednesday email to The Bee. “I’m proud to stand beside them and serve Turlock.”
Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy appointed Hedden from a pool of 16 applicants, she said during the meeting Tuesday. Since the city and CPS HR Consulting began the search in August, Eddy said three panels — an executive, community and police department staff panel — interviewed five candidates. The panels unanimously supported hiring Hedden, she said.
The council approved both the appointment and Hedden’s employment agreement, which covers a five-year term. His base salary is $177,480 per year, per the contract. Hedden also will receive a collective 5% bonus for holding a master’s degree and a Peace Officer Standards and Training management certificate.
Hedden, 39, has served as the Los Banos interim police chief since March 2021 and worked for the department for 18 years. He worked in nearly every division, including the patrol, detective, jail and gang units.
A lifelong Stanislaus County resident, Hedden was born in Modesto and has lived in Turlock for 16 years.
“My kids go to school here and I’m deeply invested in our community,” Hedden said in an email. “I’m excited to make a difference in the place I raise my family.”
Hedden will take over leading the department from Gary Hampton, who has filled the role on an interim basis since August. Before Hampton’s appointment, Turlock Police Capts. Steven Williams and Miguel Pacheco took turns serving as interim chief. Amirfar retired in October 2020 after leading the department since January 2017.
A couple of residents on Tuesday asked if the city could wait to appoint Hedden after hiring a city manager in a few weeks. The top city management position has been vacant since January 2021, when the council voted 3-2 to put then-City Manager Toby Wells on investigative leave.
Eddy and several members of the council said they hoped to hire a city manager first, but said Hedden fits the community. They also cited a competitive job market and said the vetting process was thorough.
“We can’t just ignore applications or candidates that we deem would be good candidates,” Eddy said. “That would be foolish and a waste of the city’s money.”
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 12:48 PM.
