After more than 30 years on the police force, Santa Clara's police chief is calling it quits. Steve Lodge has been chief since 2000, but said Tuesday his final day on the job will be Christmas Eve.
Lodge said in a statement, he sees his greatest contribution was the quality people he says he was able to hire both in the sworn and non-sworn ranks.
Lodge says he learned his most important lessons as a beat cop.
"Those four years were amongst the best in my career," said Lodge. "I learned a tremendous amount about people, law enforcement and myself."
Lodge grew up in Santa Clara and is probably one of the few on any Bay Area police force who can say they spent their entire career in their home town.
News of the retirement came as a surprise to the public at large, but the Mercury News reported it has been in the works for months and said Lodge kept in private because he did want it to become a distraction during labor talks.
