Merced police chief announces retirement

Merced's police chief announced on Monday his intention to retire after nearly three decades in the Merced Police Department, according to a news release.

After about 29 years in the department, Chief Norman Andrade said he will retire at the end of the year.

“I have enjoyed being an officer in Merced for three decades. However, now it is time to spend more time with my wife and my grandkids,” Andrade said in a statement. “ I will miss all of the men and women in the department, and all of my co-workers in the city, but it’s time for a new chapter in my life.”

Andrade has been chief since August 2009, when he replaced Russ Thomas.

No interim chief to replace Andrade has been named, according to a news release.

Andrade has been a "solid rock in the department," according to City Manager Steve Carrigan.

“Norm has been an anchor in the Merced Police Department. Dependable, reliable, steady, someone you can count on, day-in, day-out," he said in a news release. "He has years of institutional knowledge that is invaluable and will be impossible to replace. ... The chief has been a great asset to the department, the city and the community."

Carrigan said he plans to have an interim chief, once named, shadow Andrade through the end of the year.

Mayor Mike Murphy praised Andrade, saying he believes in community-oriented policing and has ties to numerous groups throughout the city.

"Whether it is attending the Hmong New Year or sitting at a neighborhood meeting in someone’s living room, the chief believes in tearing down walls and opening doors between his department and the community," Murphy said in a news release.

Andrade joined the department in January 1989, and was promoted to a the rank of corporal after about five years. Andrade became a sergeant in 1997 and then commander in 2003, according to a news release.

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Merced police chief announces retirement."