Oceanside CA— Oceanside City Manager Deanna Lorson announced today, December 21, 2020, that Oceanside Police Captain Manuel (Fred) Armijo will serve as Interim Police Chief after Chief Frank McCoy retires on December 28.
Captain Armijo has worked for the City of Oceanside Police Department since 1994, starting his career as a sworn police officer and working through the ranks as Sergeant, Lieutenant and then ultimately Police Captain in 2011. As Captain, he has directed each of the three divisions of the department, Support Operations, Investigations, and Patrol. He is a proven leader, not only in the Police Department, but throughout the organization. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Workforce Education and Development and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership. Captain Armijo also graduated from the FBI National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, and the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.
Captain Armijo is very involved in his community and in his profession. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Oceanside Promise and is a member of the North San Diego County NAACP. He is an Oceanside native, graduating from Oceanside High School, and served as an Oceanside lifeguard for four years before joining the Police Department.

City Manager Deanna Lorson stated, “I’m excited to appoint Fred Armijo as Interim Police Chief while the search is underway to fill the position permanently. I’m fully confident in Captain Armijo’s ability to lead the department professionally and with the utmost integrity, transparency and commitment through this time of transition.”
Chief McCoy has served as Oceanside’s Police Chief since January, 2006 and is the longest serving Police Chief in the history of the department. During his tenure, Chief McCoy built a culture focused on community-based policing and worked with the department and the community to lower Oceanside’s overall crime rate. Since his appointment, the City has seen a 33% reduction in overall crime and a 28% reduction in violent crime.
“We have been very fortunate in Oceanside to benefit from the leadership of Chief McCoy for almost fifteen years,” Mayor Esther Sanchez said. “I look forward to this process determining the next great leader of the Oceanside Police Department.”
After Chief McCoy announced his retirement in July, the City of Oceanside developed a community survey in order to gather input on his replacement. Information about the survey including a report summarizing the survey responses is available on the City’s web site. The survey results were carefully considered, and it was decided that an open recruitment will begin to ensure the best person is selected as the City’s next Police Chief. The firm of Bob Murray & Associates was selected to manage the recruitment process. In conducting the recruitment process, the City Manager will be seeking a Chief who has demonstrated a strong understanding of community relationships, knowledge of and the value of the City’s diversity, and someone who can build on OPD’s track record, while also providing a fresh look to ensure that OPD is continually improving practices and providing outstanding service to the community.
The Police Chief recruitment is now open, and will close on January 22, 2021. Additional information about the Police Chief search, including a link to the recruitment brochure, is available on the City’s web site at the following link: https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/gov/hr/jobs/default.asp
Interested applicants can review the recruitment brochure and apply online through Bob Murray’s web site here: https://www.bobmurrayassoc.com/search-summary?broc_id=4598