San Jose police Chief Tony Mata will be turning in his badge after 28 years on the force.
Mata, who has spent the past three years as the city's top cop, is moving on to lead the investigations team at the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
"I know it's going to be emotional," Mata said during a sit down with NBC Bay Area on Thursday. "Given that I've been here for 28 years, serving the community, and leading the amazing men and women here."
Mata rose up the ranks from beat cop, homicide detective, robbery detective, and police chief.
The three years Mata served as chief have had their ups and downs. Mata during his time had to rebuild the trust of the community after the Defund the Police movement. The San Jose Police Department also had a myriad of officers getting in trouble with the law, leading to a watershed moment of Mata personally walking one of those cops out the door after firing him.
"To hold people accountable because we are provided with a lot of authority," Mata said. "And with that authority comes accountability and transparency. And that's something this department has always done well."
Mata believes that moment was the beginning of the rebuilding of public trust, and said he is proud of where the department is headed.
The department's homicide unit continues its 100% solvability rate. Police reforms have been implemented when it comes to responding to mental health incidents. And the department is tracking car stops to determine the reason for the stop in an effort to eliminate biases.
On Friday during his last weekday briefing, Mata plans to remind officers why they serve.
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"Not to forget why they took the oath and why they're wearing the badge," he said. "It's to help our community and just keep working hard because we have something special here."
Mata will turn in badge number 3324 on Saturday. A moment he cannot describe.
