West Covina Police Chief and Muir Grad Richard Bell to Retire – Pasadena Now
West Covina Police Chief Richard Bell announced he will retire next month.
Bell, who grew up in Pasadena and played football at John Muir before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League, has been a police officer for almost 30 years.
"I want to express my sincere appreciation for everything this organization has offered me during my career," Bell said in a prepared statement. "Working with such a great and committed team of professionals has been a true honor, and I have really enjoyed my time here."
Under Chief Bell's leadership, the West Covina Police Department made significant strides in areas such as community policing, crime reduction, officer training, and mental health response. Chief Bell was instrumental in the implementation of body-worn cameras, the installation of flock cameras throughout West Covina, bringing back the overlap shift to deploy officers during peak hours, which reduces response time, introducing the new Mark 43 CAD RMS to improve efficiency and implicit-bias training.
Bell became the City's first Black Police Chief in 2017 when he was named interim chief to replace Dave Faulkner.
He has a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Nebraska where he played college football.
In 1995, Bell was hired as a reserve officer for the Monrovia Police Department. He has also worked for the San Marino Police Department.
"I want to thank Chief Bell for his years of service and leadership," said Mayor Brian Calderon Tabatabai. "His commitment to safety, fairness, and integrity has left a lasting impact on the West Covina Police Department and our community. I wish him all the best in his retirement and thank him for his unwavering dedication to public service."
