Vacaville Police Chief Ian Schmutzler to retire by year's end

Photo: Vacaville Police Chief Ian Schmutzler addresses the media during a news conference in July 2024. (File)

After a career in law enforcement that has spanned nearly three decades, Vacaville Police Chief Ian Schmutzler is set to retire at the end of the year, city officials announced on Wednesday.

Officially, Schmutzler will retire from the City of Vacaville on December 31. He succeeded now-Mayor John Carli as in the police chief role two years ago.

“Serving as the Chief of Police has been the greatest honor of my career,” Schmutzler said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, our city leaders, and the Vacaville community for their trust and support. While I look forward to retirement, I will always treasure the partnerships and accomplishments we achieved together. Reflecting on the last three years, we have streamlined department operations and improved trust between law enforcement and the Vacaville community, while continuing to earn our reputation as a very safe city. We have hired and promoted staff at a record pace since 2022 significantly increasing our Youth Development staff.”

“We have also been through the most difficult and devastating time in our department’s history, when in July we experienced the heartbreaking loss of a brother in arms, Matthew Bowen,” Schmutzler continued. “As I move on from this post, I am confident in our department’s unwavering commitment to this community and their resilience in times of adversity.”

Schmutzler began his career in 1997, joining the Oakland Police Department that year before moving to Vacaville three years later.

“Ian Schmutzler has been an exceptional leader who has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to public safety, community engagement, and progressive policing,” City Manager Aaron Busch said on Wednesday. “His efforts will leave a lasting mark on our community, and we wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Busch will announce the process to select Schmutzler’s successor in the near future.