Los Gatos Hires New Police Chief

LOS GATOS, CA — Jamie Field was named the new police chief of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, the town announced Tuesday.

Field was serving as the interim police chief after the former police chief, Peter Decena, resigned last September amid a dispatcher shortage and other controversy.

Field has been with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department since 2009, rising from officer to captain. She has worked in law enforcement for over 20 years.

“I am excited about Chief Field and have confidence in her leadership to guide the Department in its community policing mission with specific attention to staffing, training, and succession planning,” Los Gatos Mayor Rob Rennie said.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Field has also been an adjunct professor teaching criminal justice at Cabrillo College. She previously worked as a deputy sheriff in the corrections bureau in Monterey County and for the Pacific Grove Police Department.

Related: Former Los Gatos Police Chief Was Pushed Out Of Job: Police Union

The town conducted a nationwide search for the position with the help of the recruiting firm Bob Murray & Associates and the guidance of retired Walnut Creek Police Chief Joel Bryden, according to a news release.

The process included a panel interview with three current Bay Area police chiefs. The town held a community meeting last November with residents and elected officials from Los Gatos and Monte Sereno. There were also several meetings with the police department’s sworn and civilian staff.