Concord City Manager Valerie Barone announced that she has hired Mark Bustillos to serve as the City’s next Chief of Police. Bustillos, who will be sworn in on Monday, April 6, will replace retiring Chief Guy Swanger.
The community is invited to watch the ceremony at 8 a.m. on Facebook Live, through Concord TV or via the City’s website.
Bustillos comes to Concord from the San Jose Police Department, where he has served for 27 years, most recently as Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Administration.
"Mark is a proactive and creative problem solver with extensive community policing experience and strong leadership skills,” said Barone. “I am confident that his positive, inclusive management style will serve the department and our Concord community well.”
During his tenure with the San Jose Police Department, Bustillos had responsibilities in all aspects of running a department, including patrol, investigations and administration. In his recent role as Deputy Chief, he managed a team of 420 employees, sworn and civilian. Concord’s Police Department has 154 sworn personnel and 57 civilian staff.
“Right now the men and women of the Concord Police Department are doing an outstanding job while working in very difficult circumstances, and I intend to step in and continue the leadership that Chief Swanger has shown," Bustillos said. "I am looking forward to getting to know the community and working with the men and women of the Department in building community relationships. We will get through the COVID-19 health crisis, and continue our mission to keep the community safe while delivering a high level of customer service."
Bustillos holds a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University, a master’s degree in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate School, and he is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum.
During the recruitment process, the City of Concord issued a community survey to ask residents and members of the business community what they are looking for in their next Chief. More than 350 people responded and said their top two desired traits are:
“Knowledge of and experience with policing best practices for solving problems and enhancing public safety;” and
“Ability to integrate and build relationships throughout the whole Concord community, becoming an active member of the community.”
The input from this survey helped guide the recruitment and selection process.
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