Pacific Grove announces the appointment of a new police chief from Humboldt County.

Pacific Grove will have a new police chief, Casey Day, currently chief of police in Fortuna, located in Humboldt County, starting on March 31.

City Manager Matt Mogensen announced the hire on Monday, March 17. 

Day's appointment comes after a few years of uncertainty at the top PGPD. Former chief Cathy Madelone retired last September, after about a five-month medical leave, that was preceded by months of working from home due to an undisclosed injury in 2023. 

After Madalone's retirement announcement, the city entered into a nationwide search, which led to Day.

Day served as Fortuna's chief for nearly five years, leading public safety initiatives and community engagement efforts. The Times-Standard reported that Day had "mixed emotions" leaving Fortuna, but that he was excited taking on new challenges as well as giving officers at the Fortuna department a chance at advancement.

As for PGPD, he said he felt it is "an agency where I can share my knowledge and influence, and work with officers and command staff to make an amazing agency like we’ve done here (in Fortuna)."

Before Fortuna, Day worked for nearly two decades for the Anderson Police Department. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served domestically and abroad.

Day holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the California POST Command College and the POST Executive Development Course.

"Chief Day leads through the philosophy that 'Policing is about building trust, fostering partnerships and ensuring the safety of every member of our community,'" Mogensen said in a press release.