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Former LAPD Deputy Chief Diaz named new chief of Riverside police
Had retired from LAPD in April
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Chief Sergio Diaz 		  Former LAPD Deputy Chief Diaz named new chief of Riverside police
Had retired from LAPD in April

The Associated Press 

June 10, 2010


EDITOR'S NOTE: We congratulate Chief Diaz, a good friend to LA Community Policing, on his being selected as the next Chief of Police in Riverside, CA. Segio is devoted to community partnerships with law enforcement and is a big fan of our work at LACP. We wish him all the best.


RIVERSIDE, Calif.—A retired Los Angeles Police Department commander has been named the new chief of police in Riverside.

Sergio Diaz is scheduled to begin his new job on July 1.

Diaz replaces former chief Russ Leach who was granted a medical retirement after pleading guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence.
 

A California Highway Patrol investigation found that Leach was pulled over Feb. 8 by officers after leaving a topless bar in Colton, where he had seven of his 11 drinks on Super Bowl Sunday. Authorities say he was driving a damaged city-issued car with no headlights and smelled of alcohol.

Diaz retired from the LAPD in April.

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Here's Chief Diaz's LAPD bio:

Sergio G. Diaz
Deputy Chief
Operations-Central Bureau

Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz was born in Havana, Cuba in 1954. He immigrated to the United States in 1962. He attended public schools in Florida until he and his family moved to the Southern California area in 1966. After graduating from Bell High School in 1973, he attended California State University, Los Angeles, where he received his Bachelors Degree in Administration of Justice. In 1997, Diaz completed his course work for a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Deputy Chief Diaz was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in February 1977. He was promoted to sergeant in November 1985, to lieutenant in January 1991,to captain in May 1998, to commander in July 2005 and to the rank of deputy chief in May 2007.

As a police officer, Diaz's assignments included patrol duties in Southwest, 77th Street and Hollenbeck Areas. Because of his ability to read, write and speak Spanish fluently, as an officer, Diaz was also assigned as the Hispanic media liaison in the Press Relations Section of the Office of the Chief of Police. His assignments as a sergeant included patrol duties in Southeast and Wilshire Areas. As a sergeant, he was also an Internal Affairs investigator, a commander's aide in Operations-Central Bureau, and the officer-in-charge of the Staff Research Section in the Personnel and Training Bureau. After promoting to lieutenant, Diaz returned to Southeast Patrol Division as a watch commander. He later transferred to Narcotics Group where he worked for five years, holding a series of positions, including officer-in-charge of the West Bureau Field Enforcement Section and a Major Violators Unit. His last assignment as a lieutenant was as a section officer-in-charge at Internal Affairs Group.

Upon his promotion to captain, Diaz was assigned as the Commanding Officer, Hollywood Operations Support Division. In October 2000, Captain Diaz was transferred to Internal Affairs Group where he was assigned as the Chief Investigator. In January 2001, Diaz was assigned to command the LAPD's Training Division, where he was responsible for all the basic training of newly hired recruit officers. During 2003, in the absence of a commander in Training Group, Diaz served as the acting commanding officer of Training Group, with responsibility for all the Department's training programs for both entry-level and tenured officers and civilians.

In May 2004, Diaz was assigned as the commanding officer of Southeast Area. In that capacity he was responsible for over 325 police officers, detectives and civilian personnel who provide basic police service to approximately 140,000 residents.

Upon being promoted to the rank of commander, Diaz was assigned as the Assistant Commanding Officer, Special Operations Bureau. There, he helped to manage the resources of the Emergency Operations Division (Gang Support Section, Underwater Dive Section and Traffic Coordination Section), Metropolitan Division (SWAT, Mounted Unit, K-9 Unit and B and C Platoons) and Air Support Division (ASTRO, Special Flights Section and the Support Unit).

Deputy Chief Diaz assumed command of Operations–Central Bureau on May 9, 2007. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing all police operations in the five downtown Areas: Central, Rampart, Hollenbeck, Northeast and Newton.
During his tenure with the LAPD, Deputy Chief Diaz has attended a number of specialized training programs. Among these are the California Supervisory Leadership Institute in 1990, and the LAPD's West Point Leadership Program in 1996. Also in 1996, Diaz graduated from the FBI National Academy. In 2003, Sergio Diaz graduated from the Senior Management Institute for Police, a prestigious summer executive development course that is primarily taught by professors from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Deputy Chief Diaz is a director of the Hispanic Law Enforcement Administrators, a Department organization dedicated to helping develop the LAPD's future leaders. Diaz is also a member of numerous professional law enforcement-related organizations including the FBI National Academy Associates, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Latin American Law Enforcement Association (La Ley), the Peace Officers Association of L.A. County, the California Peace Officers Association, and the Los Angeles Women Police Officers Association.

Deputy Chief Diaz resides in the city of Downey with his wife and two daughters.