Former Police Chief Cam Sanchez Hired By Monterey Parks Department

Cam Sanchez, Santa Barbara’s recently retired police chief, is now working for the Monterey County Parks Department as an “executive management specialist,” the Monterey County Weekly reported last month.

Sanchez served as Santa Barbara’s police chief for 15 years before announcing his retirement in October 2015, shortly after suffering a concussion in a serious car accident. He stepped down amid low morale and chronic staffing shortages within the department. Sanchez worked for the Los Angeles Police Department for 20 years before taking over the SBPD.

Sanchez joins a parks department in disarray, the Monterey County Weekly reported. Its former director left his position in July, after just 17 months at the helm, and county leaders have struggled to manage personnel and funding issues. It’s hoped Sanchez will inject new leadership and energy into improvement plans for each of the county’s eight parks, starting with helping rangers stop illegal trail-building by mountain bikers.