Costa Mesa police Chief Tom Gazsi announced Tuesday he is stepping down to take a new job at the Port of Los Angeles.
Gazsi, who took over in July 2011, said he will leave his post on Dec. 7.
He has been hired for the newly created deputy chief position at the Port of Los Angeles, where he’ll oversee emergency management and field operations.
“I leave with deeply mixed feelings,” Gazsi said. “I have great regard for the Costa Mesa Police Department, its strong legacy and its reputation for exceptional service in this remarkable community. But the opportunity with the Port of Los Angeles is a unique and exciting opportunity that was difficult to pass up.”
Capt. Rob Sharpnack will serve as acting chief.
“We’re very grateful for Chief Gazsi’s steady leadership in Costa Mesa during some challenging times,” Costa Mesa Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch said. “We’re sorry to see him go, but we wish him the best during the next chapter of his life.”
Gazsi was a 32-year veteran of the Newport Beach Police Department when he signed on to be Costa Mesa’s chief.
He started his law enforcement career as an Explorer Scout with the Newport Beach Police Department and worked his way up to the rank of captain.
Gazsi took over the Costa Mesa department from Christopher Shawkey, who had been on administrative leave for months before he resigned in March 2011. Questions had been raised about Shawkey’s expense reports, though no official reason was given for his resignation.
Steve Slaveley, who filled as interim chief in while the city looked for a replacement for Shawkey, resigned in anger in June of that year over proposed cutbacks at the time. Slaveley accused city officials of creating a fiscal crisis for political reasons.
— City News Service