Vancouver Police Chief Jeff Mori announces forthcoming retirement

Vancouver Police Chief Jeff Mori announces forthcoming retirement

July 17, 2024

Police Chief Jeff Mori will be retiring from his position with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) effective Oct. 11. Mori, sworn in as VPD's chief in June 2022, will be departing after more than five years with the department and more than 31 years working in law enforcement.

His reasons for retiring are personal, including his desire to take a step back from the inherent pressures that come with leadership duties and responsibilities of his position, to re-evaluate his work-life balance and to spend more time with family.

"I have cherished my time with VPD, so my decision to step down was extremely difficult. It has nothing to do with the pending change of leadership at City Hall," said Chief Mori. "A Police Chief must be resilient and emotionally healthy. In the past 12 months, repeated experiences of trauma, emotion, tragedy and constant worrying have worn me down. After each of these events, as much as I tried to compensate, I lost some resiliency."

Mori's accomplishments as VPD chief include:

• Working with the City Manager's office on development of a police and public safety levy (Proposition 4), which this week City Council placed on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election
• Overseeing the rollout of the VPD camera program
• Working to boost diversity among VPD staff and improve community engagement
• Overseeing the recruitment and hiring of 75+ VPD officers and staff
• Playing a pivotal role in advocating for and supporting establishment of a SW Washington regional Criminal Justice Training Academy
• Expanding the overall use of technology to enhance the effectiveness of police services

"Chief Mori has been a strategic and thoughtful leader for the VPD. I thank Chief Mori for his service, work and dedication to the entire community," City Manager Eric Holmes said. "During the last two years, he has been a steady and compassionate leader, committed- to working with the community to increase transparency, accountability and equity while improving police and community relations."

City Council will soon be selecting Vancouver's next city manager to replace Eric Holmes who is retiring in October. Holmes intends to closely consult with his successor to determine how they wish to select the next police chief for Vancouver.

Media contacts:

Tim Becker, Strategic Communications Manager [email protected], 360-831-3240

Kim Kapp, Vancouver Police Department Public Affairs Manager, [email protected], 360-487-7490

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