Police Chief Neal Johnson, 59, will retire on December 31st after serving the city for 38 years. He plans to work for an international security management company and open an office for the firm in Arcadia.
Arcadia Police Department has a new police chief. His name is Bob Guthrie and has been serving as interim police chief since Bob Sanderson retired in April. He joined the Arcadia Police Department as a cadet in 1989.
Chief Roy Nakamura became Arcadia’s 30th Police Chief and its first of Asian-American descent on January 9, 2021. Captain Nakamura began his career with the Arcadia Police Department in 1992 as a Police Officer. As an Officer, he was assigned to Patrol and worked as a Field Training Officer, as well as being assigned to the Detective Bureau. As Detective, he was assigned to the Forgery and Fraud Unit and completed his Detective Bureau assignment in the Crimes Against Persons Unit. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and worked as a Field Supervisor until he was transferred to Personnel and Training. In 2009, Captain Nakamura was promoted to Lieutenant, working various assignments under the Operations and Administration Divisions within the Department, including Watch Commander, Detective Bureau Commander, Field Training Officers Program Commander, and Force Training Unit Commander. In 2019, he was promoted to Captain. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly Pomona.
Robert Seares, born in Pasadena in 1909, had an amazing career as a journalist, photographer, and police official. He was chief of police in Arcadia and remained there for 15 years until retirement. He wrote a memoir called "Eighty Years: a Memoir." A copy is in the Pasadena Museum of History library.
Monrovia man Gerardo Cortez, 26, was arrested for allegedly making telephone threats to shoot adults and children with an assault rifle at schools (including Arcadia High School), the Westfield Santa Anita mall, and a hospital in the San Gabriel Valley last week. He was booked at Monrovia Police Department for five counts of felony Making Criminal Threats and five counts of False Report of an Emergency. He is to be arraigned today. See also Mountain Views News, September 14, 2013, p. 1.
Bob Sanderson is the new chief of police in Arcadia now that Dave Hinig has retired. Hinig discusses his retirement plans and Sanderson discusses his new duties.