Interim Chief Richard Lucero Takes Helm of Fremont Police Department

Interim Police Chief Richard Lucero has taken the helm of the Fremont Police Department.

Lucero replaces former chief of police Craig Steckler, who held the position for the past 20 years.

Lucero began his appointment on Dec. 31.

He is a veteran of the Fremont police department of 25 years, according to the Fremont Police Department website. In his career, Lucero has worked as a patrol officer, a member of the SWAT team, an internal affairs officer and, most recently, commander of the patrol division.

A father of three, Lucero has earned degrees from San Jose State University and Santa Clara University School of Law. Lucero is also a member of the California State Bar Association and the first vice president of the California Peace Officers’ Association.

“It has been a professional honor to serve with this department and an extraordinary honor to be placed in this interim position,” Lucero wrote in a letter released by the Fremont Police Department. “I welcome direct interaction and look forward to establishing a strong relationship with the community in my new role.”

Read Lucero’s full welcome letter below: 

Dear Community Member,

As the Fremont Police Department enters a period of transition, it is helpful to acknowledge the nature and character of the community we serve. The people of Fremont have a high sense of personal responsibility and accountability. Our citizens both value and participate in preserving the level of public safety we enjoy. It is a privilege to serve in a city where the community appreciates the work of its public servants.

As a municipal police agency, our department is fully committed to our responsibility of identifying, confronting, arresting, or disrupting the offenders causing the greatest harm to the people we serve. We are also vigilant in the spectrum of public safety and community leadership as it relates to areas such as preserving the sanctity of the education environment, minimizing traffic injuries, and meeting our homeland security obligations, as well as assisting in situations involving people in personal turmoil. In meeting these and all our obligations, we affirmatively seek to align our efforts with the mandates and contributions of other service organizations in the community including neighborhood groups, education providers, other government entities, the business community, faith based and non-profit organizations.

The people of the city of Fremont are respectful of the rule of law. We see this value reflected in the functioning of our police organization. Our department consistently invests in training and policy development helping assure we adhere to the bounds of the Constitution, as well as statutory changes and interpretive case decisions. At the individual level, members of the organization also study on their own in order to remain accurate in their understanding of how they can apply their authority.

Our department has had a culture of continually evolving our competencies and practices as well as applying available technology all related to public safety effectiveness. In this regard, we look forward to our continued organizational growth and development.

Speaking for myself personally, it has been a professional honor to serve with this department and an extraordinary honor to be placed in this interim position. I welcome direct interaction and look forward to establishing a strong relationship with the community in my new role. Please contact me anytime if you would like to provide comment or if I may be of assistance to you.

Thank you,
Richard Lucero

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