SANTA MONICA—Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud announced her retirement after more than 60,000 people signed a petition calling for her retirement. The SMPD recognizes that “recent events both here in Santa Monica and around the nation have strained community-police relations,” and the retirement will be on October 25.

Upon her retirement, Chief Renaud will start serving as a president at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) from October 23rd. The IACP is a non-profit organization which consists of 31,000 members from 165 countries, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Santa Monica Police Department has arrested 400 people in relation to looting during Black Lives Matter protests in reaction to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, but people including business owners claim that the police did not charge the looters.

Chief Renaud first came to Santa Monica in April 2018. She succeeded in reducing crime by 16% in 2019 and adapting operations including increasing the number of specially trained officers to commit to regional homeless issues.

“I am proud of our record over the past two years in times of unprecedented scrutiny and challenge for law enforcement,” Chief Renaud commented. Interim City Manager Dilg thanked Renaud by saying “Chief Renaud is a skilled law enforcement leader who has served Santa Monica with dedication during her tenure.”