Garden Grove promotes 29-year department veteran Tom DaRé to police chief

Garden Grove wasted no time in appointing a replacement for Police Chief Todd Elgin, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

On Friday, City Manager Scott Stiles said in a statement that he has named Capt. Tom DaRé as the new chief of police.

In an interview about Elgin’s retirement, Stiles hinted that an internal appointment would come soon. “Chief Elgin has left the department in really good standing, with three solid police captains,” Stiles said.

A native of Garden Grove, DaRé has served in his hometown police department for 29 years. He will begin his new assignment on April 20.

Beginning his career as a Garden Grove Police cadet in 1990, DaRé followed a career path similar to that of Elgin – a 32-year veteran of the department.

After climbing the ranks, the Garden Grove High alum became a lieutenant overseeing the homeless task force in 2015. Two years later, the city added the Grove District and Anaheim Resort areas to his responsibilities.

In 2017, DaRé was promoted to captain, managing the largest division of the police department – including patrol, gangs, traffic unit, narcotics and SWAT.

DaRé  will oversee a staff of 179 sworn officers, the highest in the history of the police department. Garden Grove has used new revenue from its 1 percent sales tax increase, approved by voters in November, to hire additional police personnel.

“Being born and raised in Garden Grove and then joining the department in my early 20s,” DaRé said in a statement, “it’s a tremendous honor for me to now serve as Garden Grove police chief.”