Wes Simmons this week was sworn in as Chino’s 18th chief of police, replacing former Police Chief Karen Comstock, who retired July 25.
The ceremony for Simmons’ elevation to the department’s top job was held on August 1 at the police department headquarters, with some 300 people, including the department’s personnel, the city’s dignitaries and local residents in attendance.
Simmons began with the department in 1995, shortly after he graduated from Cal State University at Fullerton with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. During his 24 years with the department he promoted up through the ranks to that of captain.
His department assignments involved him in the areas of criminal investigations, risk management, budgeting, public safety agency coordination, emergency management and crisis response. He was a founding member of the Chino Police SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team.
Through the University of Phoenix’s extension program, which he participated in from 1999 to 2001, he obtained a master of arts degree in organizational management.
He is a Class 60 graduate of the California Police Officers Standards and Training Command College.
In 2014, Simmons sojourned to Virginia on an extended assignment where he attended Session 255 of and graduated from the FBI National Academy and obtained a graduate certification in criminal justice education at the University of Virginia.
Chino City Manager Matt Ballantyne, after considering the options of conducting a national recruitment or promoting from within the department’s ranks to replace Comstock, elected to elevate Simmons to the position. After Ballantyne made that choice, Comstock endorsed it.
A private swearing in for Simmons involving fewer than twenty attendees was held on July 25, the day of Comstock’s departure. Yesterday’s event was formal and well-attended.
Ballantyne indicated it was the respect and regard shown for Simmons by his department colleagues as well as his executive management skills that were the major factors in his selection.
Simmons was a board member with Crossroads Christian Schools from 2007 until 2017, a board member of the Kiwanis Club of Chino from 2015 to 2018, and he continues to be a volunteer with Kiwanis International.
He authored the article “Big Data Does Not Have to Mean Big Brother or Be a Big Deal” for Police Chief Magazine, a publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.