Lafayette welcomes in new police chief
LAFAYETTE, Calif. - It’s a new era for the Lafayette Police Department. Police Chief Ben Allldritt—who has headed the department for seven years—is stepping down.
"This has been an opportunity of a lifetime. We have a great community, a lot of community spirit. We have a community that wants to be involved in public safety," Alldritt told KTVU.
Alldritt leaves behind a lasting legacy; he led the police department through some of the toughest times for a chief.
"Seeing him go, it’s sad. But at the same time, we have a new incoming chief that Ben supports and is shadowing Ben this week…Jamie is, I think, the right chief now for us," said Lafayette City Manager Niroop Srivatsa.
The high-profile police killing of George Floyd in 2020 could have put a wedge between LPD and community members. Folks tell us that thanks to Alldritt, the people of Lafayette still trust their officers.
"Ben is somehow able to bring all different groups together. He himself comes from an unusually diverse family, and he makes us feel more connected to modern times," said Daniel Horowitz, who serves on Lafayette's Crime Prevention Commision.
Lieutenant James Williams was selected as the next chief after interviews with the city manager as well as panels with city department heads and community members. He beat out three other candidates for the role in the affluent East Bay city.
Lafayette has a tiny but mighty force—only employing 17 officers at a time.
But with that, the city says violent crime has decreased by over 39% in the last decade.
"He has just added so much safekeeping and authority and kindness in our community. We’ve been lucky to have him," said outgoing Lafayette Mayor Gina Dawson.
Aldritt won’t be stepping away from the badge altogether, he is joining the Martinez Police Department to serve as a captain.
As for what’s next for Lafayette, incoming Chief Williams will formally take over on Dec. 16. He says his main priority is to keep up the great work that Chief Alldritt did for lafayette.
"The big thing for me is continuing with what he has done…We wanna keep the community safe," Williams told KTVU.
There’s a lot of change coming for the community of Lafayette. The city has a new mayor coming in soon. The passing of Measure H last month will also help the community make up for its $2 million deficit, and will help avoid cuts to the police budget.
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