El Segundo Police Chief Mitch Tavera stays on duty
The ESPD command team: Sergeant Mike Gill, Captain Bob Turnbull, Lieutenant Jeff Leyman, Chief Mitch Tavera and Captaion Brian Efanski. Photo . Police chief Mitch Tavera could easily have called it quits. After a distinguished 31-year career in which he served in nearly every capacity on the El Segundo police force and rose to its command staff, Tavera could have safely stepped foot into civilian life and the comfortable retirement that three decades in law enforcement provides. Instead, in 2010, Tavera walked into the midst of a perfect storm. The El Segundo Police Department faced unprecedented budget cuts that would result in a reduction of its sworn staff from 71 to 57. At the same time, the city experienced an uptick in crime, largely attributable to the ongoing effects of a severe recession coupled with a statewide early release program the put more career criminals back on the streets. Tavera stepped up. In early 2010, he was named the chief of the El Segundo Police Department, just in time to oversee the most severe force reductions in the department’s recent history. From a workload standpoint, the task was as simple as it was challenging: ESPD faced a heavier workload…
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