Yuma announces new police chief after predecessor retires
The city of Yuma announced its new police chief Monday following the retirement of his predecessor.
Thomas Garrity was chosen to replace Chief Susan Smith who has served with the Yuma Police Department for 30 years and has been police chief since 2019. According to the city, Susan was the first female in YPD history to hold positions in the following ranks: lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and chief.
Garrity, a U.S. Army veteran, is currently a commander in the Prince William County, Virginia Police Department and oversees the violent crime and investigation bureaus, according to his LinkedIn profile. He will begin his new role in Yuma on Jan. 9.
Garrity began his career in the same department 32 years ago, working his way up to Captain in 2019. He is originally from Paxinos, Pennsylvania, according to a Yuma press release.
He holds a bachelor of science degree from George Mason University and a master’s in Public Administration from National University. He also is graduating from the FBI National Academy in 2021 as well as completing crisis intervention training, among other schooling and training experiences.
“Words cannot express how honored and humbled I am to be selected to serve as the next Chief of Police for Yuma,” Garrity said in the news release. “The women and men of this department are dedicated to partnering with the community to make Yuma a great place to work, live and play. Together we will continue this important work. My family and I are excited to be a part of the future of Yuma as the community continues to grow.”
According to the press release, his experience includes a variety of roles including being a part of his county’s first community police project, leading an internal team and collaboration with local stakeholders to plan and build a new policing district.
He was also the lead detective for his county’s investigation and prosecution of the “D.C. Snipers” who randomly killed 10 people throughout Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia in 2002.
Garrity was chosen out of three finalists, with the other two including Richard Jessup, chief of police of the San Luis Police Department in Arizona and Philip Smith, chief of police of the Roswell Police Department in New Mexico.
“I am extremely impressed with Tom and his more than 30 years of professional policing experience,” said Jay Simonton, acting city administrator in the news release. “I really believe he is up to the challenge and will be a great leader for the men and women in the police department. I’m really looking forward to working with Tom and think he will be a great addition to our leadership team.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Yuma announces new police chief after predecessor retires
