Newport Beach police chief plans to retire

Newport Beach Police Chief Jay Johnson plans to retire next month.

In an email sent to police staffers Thursday night, Johnson said his last day on the books will be Dec. 23. Johnson has offered to stay on through the beginning of 2016, if the city needs more time for the transition.

“I wanted to let all of you know, before you hear it through the rumor mill, of my intentions to retire,” he wrote.

Johnson, 50, didn’t give a specific reason for his departure in the email, but in an interview Friday he explained he intends to step away from the stress of a highly public law enforcement job and spend more time with his family.

“It’s time,” he said. “I’ve got 29 years in this business.”

Newport Beach swore in Johnson as its ninth police chief in June 2010.

Before that, Johnson was a commander in the Long Beach Police Department, where he spent most of his career. In his later years there, he oversaw the city’s South Division, which included the downtown and harbor areas of the city.

“Being the chief of the Newport Beach Police Department has been a tremendous honor and one of the highlights of my life,” Johnson wrote to his colleagues.

Johnson said he believes he’s leaving the department in healthy shape with a deep bench of talent capable of leading the department for years to come.

City Manager Dave Kiff said the city will soon start its recruitment process for a new chief.

“I wanted him to stay until he was 70 but he wasn’t willing to do that,” City Manger Dave Kiff said. “I wish he wasn’t retiring but I also wish him the best.”