Following the recent retirement announcement by Garden Grove Police Chief Joseph Polisar, effective December 2010, the City of Garden Grove today announced the appointment of the City’s new police chief. Effective January 2011, Deputy Police Chief Kevin Raney will fill the Department’s highest position by becoming Garden Grove’s 11th Chief of Police.
“It’s an honor for me to serve as Police Chief for the city and the Department that I’ve spent my entire working career in. The kind of relationship the Department shares with the community, the quality of its service, and the amazing employees that work so hard at making it the best, are what make this new assignment more of a reward than a job,” says Raney.
Raney began his career with the GGPD in 1976 as a police cadet, becoming an officer in January 1978. In 1986, he was promoted to sergeant, in 1991 to lieutenant, and later to captain in 2002. In 2005, he was named the department’s deputy chief.
“One of the most interesting periods in my early career was working the foot detail as a sergeant in Buena Clinton, from 1987 to about 1989, when Buena Clinton was the complete opposite of what you see today,” says Raney.
Raney is credited with initiating the opening of the Department’s Juvenile Justice Center in 1998.
“The Center identifies at-risk youth at the earliest possible stage. It’s a model process of collaboration between the Department and the school district that’s been followed by several other agencies throughout the country,” says Raney.
According to Garden Grove City Manager Matt Fertal, who made the appointment, the position was a natural process in Raney’s long-time service career.
“Kevin has literally grown up in the Department since starting as a cadet at age 19. He’s worked his way through the ranks, been a part of the Department’s many successes as well as challenges, and come away with the kind of experience, insight, and understanding that only a police chief can provide,” says Fertal.
“As police chief, my priority will be to maintain the Police Department’s recognized level of professional excellence and continue the positive relationship it’s built with the community, service organizations, and businesses,” says Raney.
Raney and his wife, Donna, have two sons, Bill and John. Bill is a police sergeant for the City of Irvine, and John serves as an officer for the City of Garden Grove.
