San Ramon Police Chief Dan Pratt retiring

San Ramon Police Chief Dan Pratt has announced he will retire from his position after nearly two years at the helm and nearly three decades in law enforcement overall, effective Sept. 6.

Pratt has served in San Ramon for 14 of his 28 years as a law enforcement officer — time that he says has been a great privilege.

“It has been my honor to serve this great community for the past 14 years. It has truly been a privilege to serve and I am grateful for having the had the opportunity,” Pratt told DanvilleSanRamon.com. “The Police Department deeply appreciates the community trust and support that we enjoy and the strong cooperative partnerships (both public and private) that have been developed over the years.”

Pratt is set to make formal public remarks on his pending retirement during the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

In June 2016, Pratt made his first attempt at retirement. Then a captain, the second highest rank in the San Ramon Police Department, he promised to return on a temporary basis if needed during any leadership transition.

And return he did, nearly three months later, to serve as part-time acting police chief in charge of the departments day to day operations, serving in the position for 20 to 30 hours a week and sharing the title with Joe Gorton, the city’s police chief who was selected to pull double-duty as interim city manager.

In January 2017, Gorton was hired by the City Council to serve as the city’s permanent city manager. Gorton in turn selected Pratt to serve as full-time police chief, a position Pratt has held for over a year and a half and a move Gorton said would would ensure the strong continuity of leadership after his departure.

Pratt is following his predecessor’s mindset and has selected his own captain, Craig Stevens, to serve as his interim police chief until a permanent replacement can be selected.

“It’s been fantastic working with him. He’s a man of honor; he’s been completely invested in our community,” Stevens said of Pratt. “He’s always been invested in the department and really laid the foundation for the department becoming what it has become. He’s very well respected in the law enforcement community … and has passed on a lot of his knowledge.”

Stevens mentioned that he is interested in obtaining the position in a permanent capacity but expects city officials to not make their decision until after the November election.

Ending a nearly three decade career can’t be easy, but Pratt said he is confident in the abilities of the officers who will protect the city upon his departure and the community leaders who will continue to support his department.

“The SRPD has enjoyed strong support from our elected officials, business and community groups, and residents. It has been a blessing to have spent the final 14 years of my career alongside fantastic city staff at every city department and the finest law enforcement officers and police department staff members in the profession,” Pratt said.

Pratt will make remarks reflecting on his time in law enforcement and in San Ramon at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at San Ramon City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road.