Dec. 31 marks Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani’s last day in office. The soon-to-be retiree gave a formal farewell speech during the Lompoc City Council’s last meeting of 2022.
“One of the things I told my immediate staff was I did not want a farewell,” Mariani said during the Dec. 20 meeting. “I wanted to go quietly into the night, and I failed, again.”
Mariani had retired from a career with the Los Angeles Police Department when he joined the Lompoc Police Department as a captain in 2015. His tenure as the city’s police chief started in 2019.
“I spent 37 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, and I’m extremely proud of that. I have a love for that city and that department as well. But I never saw the level of commitment that I’ve seen in the last seven and a half years here,” Mariani said. “I am so proud to have been able to hold this position, but it’s not something I could do by myself.”
Mariani thanked his peers in the Lompoc Police Department and recounted instances of his staff rising to the occasion over the past few years, overcoming obstacles due to the COVID-19 crisis and other circumstances.
“During the pandemic, there were times where we barely had enough people to staff and go out and meet the call load,” Mariani said. “I would go up to roll call on some nights, and with only one person or two people from that shift, four other people had picked up an overtime shift to make sure that we would carry on without having to get assistance from anyone else.
“There were times when we had incidents and bare bone minimums, and people would come in on their days off,” Mariani added. “So I ask you, as you look to the future, to please take care of this police department—they’re not perfect, but they’re amazing people that do amazing things that I was able to witness on a daily basis.”
According to a statement from the city of Lompoc, after Mariani’s last day, Police Capt. Kevin Martin will serve as the Lompoc Police Department’s interim police chief until the position is permanently filled.
Mayor Jenelle Osborne laid down one ground rule before commenting on Mariani’s retirement during the Lompoc City Council’s Dec. 20 meeting.
“The rule is none of you can start crying until we’re done with this,” Osborne said. “I’ve got to get through this.
“It’s been a really difficult few years. You have led with such positivity, despite it all, and have given me such amazing support, and I thank you for that,” Osborne told Mariani. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through these last few years without your partnership and leadership. So I am going to miss you dearly, as I know the entire community will.”
This article appears in Dec 29, 2022 – Jan 5, 2023.
