POLICE CHIEF ED MEDRANO Chief Edward (Ed) Medrano grew up in the Gardena, Torrance area and graduated from North High School in Torrance.  After high school, he served on the United States Marine Corps for six-years on active duty and in the reserves. Chief Medrano joined the Gardena Police Department as a Police Cadet when he was 18 years old, and since then, has had a wide variety of assignments including patrol, motors, training, SWAT, gangs, detectives, K-9, community policing, risk management, and as the advisor of the police Explorers program. In 1999, Medrano was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, covering patrol, investigations, Community Policing, and the gang unit. In 2002, he helped create and supervise the Department’s Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Team (COPPS Team) and implemented a community oriented policing strategy that brought a more visible police presence to the community. Medrano was promoted to Lieutenant in 2002 and served as a Patrol Division Commander, where he managed patrol shift schedules, the field training officer program, the transit detail, and was a patrol shift Watch Commander. Medrano was also the designated risk manager for department operations. In 2006, Medrano was promoted to the rank of Police Captain, commanding both the Operations and Support Divisions, and was responsible for Operations, Personnel, and oversight of the Department’s Budget.

In 2007, Medrano was appointed to the position of Police Chief by the City Manager. Chief Medrano is active in the community he lives in and serves as a Public Safety Commissioner and is a member of the Board of Directors for Gardena Memorial Hospital. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. On his off time, he enjoys surfing, running, and spending time with his wife of 16 years and his two children.