Torrance >> Mark Matsuda, who grew up within just a few miles of the Torrance Police Department, was selected Wednesday as the first Asian-American police chief in the city’s history at a time of sweeping demographic change in the community.
Matsuda, who joined the police force in 1987 out of Cal State Long Beach, was promoted to deputy chief in March 2013, has been serving as interim chief since February. He was chosen as permanent chief from a field of six in-house candidates vying to replace John Neu, who retired as police chief in February to care for his seriously ill wife.
“It is nice to be part of the community and be in command of such a great department in such a great city,” said Matsuda, who grew up in the unincorporated county strip near Torrance and graduated from Narbonne High School in 1981.
Matsuda, 51, will receive his new badge as the city’s ninth police chief at the Torrance City Council meeting Tuesday.
“We were fortunate to have an outstanding selection of internal candidates that we can attribute to the great succession planning of Chief John Neu,” City Manager Leroy Jackson said in a statement. “Mark possesses excellent interpersonal skills, which will enhance his ability to provide solid, reliable leadership to the department and be a significant asset to the community.”
Mayor Frank Scotto said the Police Department needs a seasoned law enforcement veteran who knows the community well and can provide leadership given recent and continuing turnover in personnel.
“I’m pleased we were able to choose somebody from the ranks of our Torrance police officers to lead our department,” Scotto said. “In the near future, I think there’s going to be a lot of things that are going to be addressed and with such a young corps of officers — we’ve had a lot of retirements— it’s imperative to have a person who can relate to the officers.
“In the next few years, it will be imperative to have a person who is capable of looking at technology and can intermingle that with our Police Department.”
Matsuda said he left Cal State Long Beach before he graduated in search of a more fulfilling career. He received a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University and later a master’s degree.
In between receiving the degrees, Matsuda worked three years on the Police Department’s gang detail, five years on the Crime Impact Team and became the department’s first community lead officer.
He has served as administrative bureau commander since April 2011.
In keeping with the city’s management philosophy, Matsuda said he will stress continuity as he assumes the post.
“We’re not looking to make any big changes,” he said. “I want to hear from the department, hear from the community. … I look forward to working with other departments in the city that contribute to the overall safety of the city of Torrance.”
Matsuda, a Torrance resident, is married with three daughters.
The demographics of Torrance have undergone significant change in the past 14 years. While whites are still a slim majority in the South Bay’s largest city, the 2010 census revealed the Asian population had climbed to 34.5 percent.
