Turlock’s former police chief tapped as city manager

Once again, the city has turned to a former police chief to take its top job.

Gary Hampton, who most recently was chief of police and public safety director in Tracy, will take over as Turlock city manager on April 1. Hampton served as Turlock’s police chief from 2006 to 2011, when he left to take the job in Tracy.

City Council members announced the selection late Tuesday after a closed-session vote that, according to a news release, was unanimous.

Hampton, 54, will take the reins from interim City Manager Michael Cooke, who will resume his position as municipal services director. Cooke, who did not apply for the city manager’s job, has been serving in the interim since Roy Wasden retired late last year. Wasden was police chief in Modesto when Turlock hired him as city manager in 2009.

As Turlock’s police chief, Hampton also served as interim city manager for a time. He also oversaw the Fire Department and parks, recreation and facilities services during interim stints. In Tracy, he served for a time as acting assistant city manager.

Before working in Turlock, Hampton was police chief in Oakdale. He holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and business management, and a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

Last year, Hampton announced he would be retiring from his job as public safety director in Tracy, effective this month.

“I say ‘retire’ – I don’t mean retire from work, I mean retire from law enforcement,” he told the Tracy Press at the time of his announcement. “It’s time for me to go on and continue practicing my leadership trade in other ways, whether that’s in a government or private entity.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Turlock’s former police chief tapped as city manager."