| | Published October 9th, 2024
| Orinda welcomes back Anthony Rossi, new police chief
| | | By Sora O'Doherty |  | | Orinda Police Chief Anthony Rossi Photo provided |
The Orinda City Council welcomed Anthony Rossi as the new Orinda Police Chief at its Oct. 1 meeting. Rossi is returning to Orinda, having previously worked in the city as a detective and patrol sergeant.
The council acknowledged that Rossi's return to the city occurred in a very unusual week. On his first day back, the Caldecott Tunnel was closed owing to a fire, and his second day back saw a tragic and rare homicide in the city. Rossi presented an explanation of the department's critical incident response, noting that although residents are interested and concerned, only the official police reports contain hard facts.
Vice Mayor Latika Malkani, who was conducting the meeting in Mayor Darlene Gee's excused absence, thanked the new chief for his response to the homicide and for securing the area, during a "very atypical week in Orinda." She did hope, however, that down the road the homocide incident can be reviewed.
In introducing Rossi, outgoing city manager David Biggs noted that Rossi knows all the principals from his previous time in the city and has a lot of good connections in Orinda. He credited the new chief with having helped to develop the unique Orinda police culture during his earlier time on the department.
Rossi responded that he fell in love with Orinda, and enjoyed every moment of his former service. "I'm very happy to be back," he told the council.
Before the council meeting, the new Chief responded to some questions from The Lamorinda Weekly. Rossi told us that he has been with the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff for over 18 years. "During my career, I have worked in County Patrol, J-Team (Street Enforcement), Investigations, and was a proud member of the S.W.A.T. Team for 13 years. I most recently was the Orinda Police Department's Investigation Detective Sergeant serving our great community," he said.
Rossi says that his goal is "to continue the great relationship Orinda PD has with this amazing community. I will bring my strong leadership and community relations, by ensuring a high level of proactive policing with the community's safety and awareness as our top priority."
In his time off, Rossi says he enjoys spending time with his family, working out, football, and hunting.
Since Orinda contracts with the Contra Costa Sheriff's office (SO) for its police staff, sometimes officers return to the SO. This is the case with Chief Ryan Sullivan, who has been promoted to Captain and is now heading the professional standards unit at the SO. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA