On Wednesday, Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford announced he was retiring and his last day would be August 11, 2023.
In November, the City of Antioch announced that Dr. Steve Ford has been named its permanent Chief of Police. He was also on a 5-year contract.
Ford was introduced in April as the interim Antioch Police Chief after Captain Tony Morefield held the position after Chief Tammany Brooks retired in September of 2021.
According to the City Manager Report, Steven Ford was appointed to Police Chief effective October 23, 2022
Recent Separations at City of Antioch
In June, the assistant city attorney resigned and Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe stated the city had more than 80 vacancies.
- June 30, 2023: Antioch City Manager Cornelius Johnson Resigns
- June 23, 2023: Kwame Reed Named Acting Antioch City Manager
- June 14, 2023: Acting Antioch City Manager Puts in Notice
- Feb 17, 2023: Antioch Assistant City Manager Could Be Headed to Piedmont
Antioch Police Chief Biography
Chief Ford at Stuff the Bus School Supply Giveaway event
Dr. Steven A. Ford, Interim Chief of Police
Chief Steven A. Ford, Ed.D, M.S., B.S., who currently leads the Antioch Police Department, grew up in San Francisco’s Ingleside-Oceanview district. His law enforcement background spanned thirty-one plus years with the San Francisco Police Department and includes assignments in Operations, Investigations, Administration, Special Operations-Homeland Security, and Professional Standards-Strategic Management bureaus. Specific positions such as Internal Affairs, Professional Standards-Principled Policing, Administration, and serving as the Commanding Officer-Captain of a District Station resonate most.
In addition, Chief Ford serves as faculty at San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University where he instructs administration of justice courses and course work in the MPA program.
Chief Ford holds an Associate of Sciences Degree from San Francisco City College, a Bachelor of Science Degree from San Francisco State University, a Master of Science Degree from California State University-Long Beach, and Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College-California. Chief Ford has attended the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigations, California POST Command College, California Police Chiefs Executive Leadership Institute at Drucker-Claremont Graduate University, POST Executive Development, San Francisco Leadership-S.F. Chamber of Commerce, and San Francisco Police Department Leadership Development Institute.
Chief Ford is a highly accomplished, knowledgeable and hands-on law enforcement leader and academic administrator with extensive formal education, exceptional administrative/communication skills and extensive university administrative experience. Chief Ford seeks to contribute and utilize a multitude of skills and abilities in a leadership capacitywithin progressive and forward-thinking organizations.
Chief Ford considers his leadership and professional philosophy to be that of a contemporary leader who values the history of the profession, is focused on current challenges, and has a vision for the future of policing. Chief Ford is personable, approachable, nurturing, and responsive.
Previous Stories:
- April 7, 2023: Antioch City Council Seeks Power to Hire Fire Police Chief
- Aug 22: Mayor of Antioch Says They Will Appoint Permanent City Manager and Police Chief
- April 27: Dr. Steve Ford Introduced as New Interim Antioch Police Chief
- Feb 23: Antioch Names Former San Francisco Cop Interim Chief of Police
23 comments
Antioch – time to collectively grab your ankles.
What???
Nothing wrong with jumping off a sinking ship.
Who is da mayor going to bring in next? A dr couldn’t get the job he wanted done. I’m sure we know where this is going.
Wow! What a mess! Nobody wants to work with Thorpe. He’s run away the very talent we need to effectively operate the city. I say now what Thorpe? Now what?
While the city collapses, Thorpe is not allowing comments on Facebook. How completely irresponsible. Who’s next?
Lamar is next!
Clean house!
Bring in the Sheriff!
F@#k OFF MAYOR
In other words….” I ahd no idea what I was getting myself into. I aam astounded at how this city is al ost as bad as many of the cities we’ve heard abour from the Deep South ( only Antioch hides it a little better). Therefore, I am taking this opportunity to get the heck out of here as soon as I possibly can. Sayonara”
This is unfortunate but not at all surprising. Now we will get to watch the city council fumble around with this issue.
Well kinda been expecting this, another one escapes the throws of Lamar. Sad to hear this guy was a straight up guy just had too many restrains. Maybe now Lamar can bring back the Con Man, he has some background in law enforcement. We’re really just not sure at what.
It hard to serve when you’re being attacked by the mayor everyday who knows nothing about public safety and certainly hasn’t come up with an ideas on ways it can be improved. Nobody, especially those with talent, skills and proven abilities, has to deal with his nonsense. The damage he’s caused to Antioch is irreparable as long as he’s at the helm. Too bad he’s too egotistical to see the carnage left in his wake.
The mayor is the one who needs to resign. It takes a brave person to admit you’re in over your head, and unfortunately, the mayor is not that person.
Is anyone surprised. If you are your a low/no information voter. This has been coming for a long time. Thorpe and his cohorts on the council are to blame for this. Sorry Lemar you can’t pass the buck any longer. The PD can’t attract laterals and newly minted police officers won’t even consider Antioch a destination. Pay doesn’t attract them an signing bonuses are useless. There’s not a cop in his or her right mind who would consider taking a position in this dump of a city and it’s your fault. Here’s something that might work, do the right thing and RESIGN! Let Antioch begin moving forward again. With you at the helm Antioch with never shed the stigma you and your policies have created. Your a looser Lemar, admit it and move on.
Unfortunately, his ego is too big to ever resign. The voters are going to have to show him the exit door and rightly so.
Steven Ford is a coward, just like Tammany Brooks.
Running away from the responsibility they accepted and problems they created and allowed to continue under their watch.
Now it’s time to pay Angelo Quinto’s family the 20 million they deserve.
Ford did not “create the problems.” But he’s in a no-win situation given the current mayor and council. Fer chrissakes, they can’t even hire a competent city manager.
Cowards? Let’s see you apply for Chief of Police and perform the job with the courage you suggest neither Ford or Brooks possessed. It’s people like you who blame police for everything even when you’re wrong which is fine if that’s what you want to do. However, most of us want the safe, peaceful, civilized existence we enjoyed before all the lawless, criminally inclined, brow beat the police folks moved to Antioch including Thorpe. Police are not the problem.
Ford would win if he ran for Mayor, if he wants to help.
I wish he would. I’d not only vote for him, I’d campaign for him. He has the good character and right temperament we need in this city to get us back on track and move us forward from the poor, crime ridden laughing stock position where we are now.
There is that many ignorant voters in the yock town.
I’m curious as to whether Chief Ford retired because of the racist texts, or the complete lack of support and general opposition he faces from Antioch’s anti-police mayor and some city council members.
The media is having us believe he left because of the text scandal, but I wish they would dig a little deeper and see what’s really going on in Antioch politics instead of giving Thorpe any more screen time.
Mr,. Thorpe publicly stated that he was not aware of the retirement decision before Chief Ford revealed it to the public. That is not how things would happen in a “normal” city, so I suspect the basic reasons have to do more with problems with the mayor and council.
Either you have rule of law or you don’t have a society. Antioch is a town on the verge of collapse. I foresee the state having to step in to run the city. There are no consequences for criminals and bad leadership anymore. This is what democrats have advocated for and will never admit fault.
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