Gilroy Chief of Police
Written By Kimberly Ewertz
Not only is Pedro Espinoza an alumnus of Chico State University , Santa Clara County Leadership Academy , and the FBI National Academy at Quantico , his 26 year career in law enforcement includes an impressive list of accomplishments ; Internal Affairs Investigator , Anti-Crime Team Investigator , Department of Justice Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team , Field Training Officer , and countless others .
On October first , 2020 , Espinoza added another title to his list — Gilroy Chief of Police . Well aware of the challenges that lie ahead in his new role , Espinoza learned early on , growing up in his Southern California neighborhood of Compton , to never back away from a challenge .
“ Like they say , no one wants to lead at peaceful times . Leaders always emerge in times like these ,” Espinoza said . “ I almost felt this was a job I needed to step up to .”
His childhood experiences also instilled in him the importance of establishing a connection with the community . “ There was a bit of disconnect between law enforcement and my community when I was growing up ,” he said , adding his hope is to minimize that disconnect within the Gilroy community .
“ It ’ s important that we have things in common with those we police . I think that avoids a lot of miscommunication and intentions . It ’ s really my job to try to do the relationship building and engagement .”
Of course Covid presented its own set of challenges for Espinoza as well as the entire police force . “ First responders are essential workers so we have to show up for work ,” he said . “ But like everyone else they worry about safety , not only for themselves but for their families .”
Adding to the panic last year , as Covid raged on , George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis sparked civil unrest throughout every community — including Gilroy .
“ So to try to keep our people motivated , it was a challenge ,” Espinoza said .
But the support of the community provided Espinoza the motivation to move forward with his goals . “ There ’ s been several community members that have made it a point to express their appreciation to the officers , whether it be by social media , digital media platforms , or dropping off goodies at the department .”
Looking ahead at 2021 , Gilroy ’ s Chief of Police is focused on his list of priorities .
“ Number one , I want to make sure we maintain a healthy and resilient work force , because it all starts there ,” Espinoza said . “ I also want to make sure that our engagement efforts continue . I want to make sure we outreach to our youth , that they have a voice .
My goal is to somehow take a holistic approach to the challenges we face in our community . Things like homelessness , and controlled substance abuse . Like everything else , trust is earned , so we ’ re making sure we do everything we can to build on that trust .”
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN WINTER 2021 gmhtoday . com