Acting Antioch city manager names next acting police chief

ANTIOCH — Acting Police Capt. Joe Vigil has been named interim chief of the Antioch Police Department, following the retirement of the chief.

On Monday evening, Acting City Manager Kwame Reed made the announcement via email. Vigil’s appointment as acting chief goes into effect on August 12.

Vigil will take over for Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford, who announced in late July that he would be retiring on Aug. 11 after less than a year on the job.

Vigil was one of four internal candidates interviewed by Reed for the top position.

“He’s done a lot in his career,” Reed said, noting that Vigil has a master’s degree in emergency services administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Vigil, a 23-year law enforcement veteran, joined the Antioch Police Department in May 2020 and was recently promoted to captain, the highest ranking position beneath the police chief.

When Vigil was hired, he increased Antioch’s rank to 115, marking the first time the department had been fully staffed since 2004, according to then-City Manager Ron Bernal.

However, as the newest chief of police, Vigil will face drastically different staffing levels, with 40 officers on leave, 21 of whom are on leave due to issues such as the ongoing FBI investigation and the racist text message scandal. According to sources, fifty sworn members, including the chief, are still active and working. With Vigil’s promotion, one of the department’s two captain positions becomes available, further thinning the command staff.

Vigil has oversaw patrol teams, investigations, and the training of newly hired officers as an acting captain. Among other things, he oversees the department’s use of body cameras.

He was a sergeant for the Richmond Police Department for 11 years before joining APD. According to state employment records, he previously worked for the Sacramento Police Department beginning in 2000.

Vigil also began attending the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training’s Command College in December, a 14-month master’s level program that provides police officers who are leaders in their departments with the skills and strategies needed to recognize emerging social, political, and other issues that may affect law enforcement.

The city will now conduct a search for an interim police chief, and once that position is filled, Vigil will return to his previous position, according to the city manager.

Following that, the search for a permanent police chief will begin. Reed did not know how long the search would take, but he said he is looking forward to working with the City Council and the Antioch community to identify the most important characteristics for that person.

This week, Reed said he will work with Chief Ford and Acting Chief Vigil to ensure a smooth transition between administrations.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lamar Thorpe, Mayor Pro-Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker, and Councilwoman Monica Wilson have asked staff to draft an ordinance that would change the way the chief is hired, fired, and supervised, with the council in charge rather than the city manager. That item was supposed to be discussed at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, but it was removed from the draft agenda.