Solvang’s police chief will hang up his hat at the beginning of March 2020 after 33 years in law enforcement.
Lieutenant, Eddie Hsueh 56, formally announced his retirement on Feb 10th, 2020 Monday during the Solvang City Council meeting.
The City Council honored and gave a proclamation to Solvang Police Chief Lt. Eddy Hsueh for serving thirty-three years in the police force. Hsueh became de facto chief of police for Solvang and Buelton.
Before reaching to where he is now, he used to work on patrol in the North County. Aside from his recent recognition, Hsueh was already awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for his work in developing and launching a comprehensive Crisis Intervention Training program for Sheriff’s Office and other Santa Barbara County law enforcement personnel before.
“I’ve worked assignments in the central stations as a deputy, a corporal on patrol, a community resource deputy and as a sergeant on patrol. I’ve overseen the North County rural crime unit in the past and the mounted unit years ago,” Hsueh narrated. “I’ve had many collateral assignments in special units and have developed programs for the department, such as programs for community youth… to the crisis intervention team to provide better services… for community members suffering from mental illness. As a lieutenant, I have overseen criminal records, warrants, the courts, and civil bureaus.”
Hsueh devoted thousands of hours to developing the Behavioral Sciences Unit, which now regulates the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office’s response to calls affecting people suffering from mental health issues.
Since a kid, Lt. Eddie Hsueh is known as a certified Batman freak. His office is decorated with Batman drawings and figurines. He said he learned to read by devouring old Batman comics. “It’s why I became a cop,” he explained. “I wanted to fight crime, protect people, and put the bad guys in jail.”
The City of Solvang is known for being one of the safest communities in California. All these were made possible with the help of quality law enforcement officers who are dedicated serving our community.