SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) - San Jose's new police chief comes into his new job with a lot of support from city leaders but some segments of the community are not sure the new chief is the right person for the job.
Anthony Mata is now the new police chief in the city of San Jose.
“Being the chief of police of a major city is not an easy job but, I can assure you that I am up to the challenge,” Chief Mata said.
Chief Mata has risen through the ranks at SJPD over the past 20 plus years. Now, it is his turn to lead the department.
“My vision for this police department is that all residents and visitors of this city has the highest trust and confidence in our department. Addressing crime in our neighborhood is something I will never lose sight of,” Mata said.
Not every chief can say that as an officer he killed an unarmed man but Chief Mata is one of them. It happened 22-years-ago.
“It was a traumatic incident that changed my life and something that I don't want any officer to go through,” Mata said.
San Jose city leaders say they believe he is the man for the job.
"I am standing here with my council colleagues who are united in support of Anthony Mata as our chief of police,” Mayor Sam Liccardo said.
However, choosing Anthony Mata to be the new chief did not come without controversy.
A letter filed with the city manager alleges that he made insensitive comments to a former San Jose officer who is a member of the LGBTQ community.
The former officer told me that they stand by the letter and comment on the matter.
On the subject, the new chief had this to say:
“In regards to the recent matter regarding the LGBTQ+ community, the matter was looked into by the city manager's office and based on information gathered, the city did not substantiate any violation of policy.”
A leader from San Jose's LGBTQ+ community may not be riveted by the choice but is willing to give him a chance.
“And I just have to sometimes say, okay, I'm going to go with the decision,” the leader said.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3tx2Lep
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