For anyone who believes such things, police Chief Stephan Hunt’s tenure as Azusa’s top cop got off to an inauspicious start.
To start, especially for the superstitious, he became the city’s 13th police chief. Then, upon stepping out of La Tolteca on Azusa Avenue, where he had lunch with several of his staff on his first day as chief, Hunt looked up and saw what would be named the Reservoir and Fish fires — which later combined to create the San Gabriel Complex Fire — tearing through the mountainside.
As a perfectly imperfect bookend, the first day of Hunt’s retirement will be Sept. 13, make that Friday the 13th.
“It’s pretty fitting,” Hunt joked.
Capping off a 30-year career with the Azusa Police Department, Hunt’s three years as police chief have been anything but bad luck for the city, according to both city officials and residents alike. As he prepares to retire, community members have taken to praising the outgoing chief.
Hunt exemplifies what the city’s police department stands for — enforcement with compassion, Mayor Joe Rocha said.
“He has the heartbeat of the community,” Rocha said. “He knows the community well and is always open to everyone, either by text or phone or personal visit.”
Rocha said he has known Hunt since he was an officer patrolling the city and that his diligence and compassion are what led to his ascension and his stellar reputation around town.
“When people leave a position, others often say that there are big shoes to fill,” Rocha said. “In Chief Hunt’s case, it’s a big heart to fill because he really does have the pulse of the community in his heart.”
City Manager Sergio Gonzalez praised Hunt for establishing new leaders in the Police Department after a large percentage retired, so much so that the department is well prepared for his own retirement.
“The past few years, it’s been a big challenge maintaining police staffing amid retirements not only in our city but across the region,” Gonzalez said. “You have to make sure you have enough qualified, experienced folks to step up, and Chief Hunt did a fantastic job with that.”
Gonzalez said any concerns he had about the city’s police department when he became city manager a year and a half ago were quickly resolved upon talking with Hunt.
“I was lucky to come to a city with a police chief with that character, dedication and respect from both the community and in his department,” Gonzalez said.
The city made an announcement Wednesday via social media that the City Council is set to honor Hunt at Monday’s council meeting, set to begin 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 213 E. Foothill Blvd. Since the post, residents have left many messages of congratulations and well wishes — something that doesn’t surprise Hunt.
“One thing about Azusa is that it’s a community that supports their police,” Hunt said. “It’s fantastic and very helpful.”
The community’s support for its police helped as Hunt and the department hired 25 officers during his time as chief because people want to go to a city where they are welcome and supported, Hunt said. Out of a total of 61 officers, the 25 translate to a 40% increase.
Hunt will be 51 in September when he officially retires. He had intended to retire at age 50 but stayed on for an extra year to ensure the department and its relatively recently promoted leaders would be prepared for his departure.
“I didn’t want to walk off the field in the middle of the game,” Hunt said.
What’s next for Hunt post-retirement? An Italian vacation, for sure, but aside from that, Hunt hasn’t made any decisions. He said he intends to work on a few projects around the house.
He has taught criminal justice classes at Citrus College and may do some more of that but not before decompressing and pondering what he would like to do.
“I really want to travel and spend some quality time with my wife and daughter,” Hunt said. “Obviously this career took away a lot of time from that.”
Hunt recalled that one investigation prevented him from attending his daughter’s undergraduate graduation and how, at the time, he knew the work needed to be done.
“(This job) is a heavy burden,” Hunt said. “It’s been a tremendous career, one I absolutely loved, and I wouldn’t do anything different, but it has taken its toll.”
That trip to Italy is the first step toward a work-life balance, Hunt said, and it’ll be all the easier to do knowing the department is well prepared to move forward without him.
“I have given my all to the community, given my all to the City Council, given my all to the men and women who make up this organization,” Hunt said, “and for that, I feel really good about where I’m at with my retirement.”
