Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista resigns

MESA, Ariz. - The City of Mesa announced Monday the resignation of Police Chief Ramon Batista. 

City officials say Batista handed in his notice of intent to leave citing the desire to pursue personal interests and other professional opportunities. 

“Chief Batista has served this community well, taking over the department during some challenging times.” City Manager Chris Brady said. “He worked hard to connect with the community and provide expanded field training for our officers.”

Batista has worked in law enforcement for nearly 35 years. He started with Mesa in 2017 after retiring as the Assistant Police Chief for the City of Tucson. 

The City of Mesa says the police department saw significant changes in the training of use-of-force instruction and de-escalation techniques as well as the lowest violent crime rates ever reported under Batista's tenure.

(Mesa Police)

The Mesa Police Association said in a statement, "Chief Batista’s resignation marks the third leadership transition in less than a decade for our department. We look forward to working with the city council and city management to find a long-term chief who will serve our city well."

City officials will announce their selection of an interim Police Chief in the coming days.