(CLAIR) – Charles “Steve” Shorts, a 20-year veteran of the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD), has been selected as the new Chief Of Police for the department. City Manager Brian Gabler announced that Shorts’ appointment will take effect on Monday, January 30, 2023.
Shorts has a diverse background in law enforcement, having served almost 13 years with the Los Angeles City Park Rangers before joining SVPD in 2000 as a reserve police officer. Since joining SVPD, he has worked in various assignments, including the patrol and gang suppression units, and as a detective in the auxiliary services unit. He has also served as a property crimes detective, field training officer, police academy instructor, supervisor for the homeless liaison and school resources officer, and department spokesperson.
Shorts holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational studies and a master’s in emergency services administration, both from CSU Long Beach. He was sworn in as the city’s Deputy Police Chief in 2021.
As Chief, Shorts will plan, direct, manage and oversee the activities and operations of the Simi Valley Police Department. Simi PD is a community-service-oriented organization that maintains strong connections with the people of Simi. The new Chief will ensure the department operates with integrity and transparency, as well as engages the community.
Shorts is a collaborative leader who listens and works with others to build solutions. He is viewed as receptive to new ideas, not afraid to make hard and possibly unpopular decisions, and able to take action and stand by those decisions. Shorts is said to be approachable, with a sense of humor.
He has been praised for his work in developing a social policing approach, which led to the creation of a “vulnerable populations” detective position, one of the first in Ventura County. Former Police Chief David Livingstone describes Shorts as a “very emotionally intelligent” and a “strategic thinker”.
In an interview with The Acorn, Shorts expressed his excitement about the opportunity to serve as the Chief Of Police. “I am honored and humbled to have been selected for this role, and I am eager to continue working with the community to ensure that our police department is responsive, transparent, and fair,” he said.
The city of Simi Valley and the SVPD are looking forward to working with Shorts as he takes on this new role and continue to serve the community.
