Assistant Chief James Chraska will lead Stockton police after Eric Jones' retirement

Assistant Chief James Chraska will serve as Stockton Police Department's interim police chief as the city searches for a replacement for Eric Jones.

Chraska said he is honored to have the opportunity to serve as interim chief and is looking "forward to assisting with City Manager Harry Black’s direction and efforts as we continue to focus on providing our community with the highest quality of service."

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Chraska, hired as a Stockton police officer in March 1997, was promoted to assistant chief in November 2020.

Jones, who has been police chief for nearly a decade, will retire at the end of December. City officials say they are finalizing a contract with a national search firm to assist Stockton with selecting the next chief of police.

"We expect that the search firm will begin its work in January, and a selection should be made at some point during the spring of 2022,” Black said.

"I expect that this leadership opportunity will generate interest internally as well as externally," Black continued. "My primary focus will be to ensure that we utilize the most effective process that yields the best decision for the city of Stockton."

Record reporter Laura Diaz covers social justice and societal issues. She can be reached at ldiaz@recordnet.com or on Twitter @laurasdiaz_. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Assistant Chief James Chraska will lead Stockton police after Jones retires