GUSTINE — Police Chief Ruben Chavez, who guided the Gustine Police Department through the COVID‑19 pandemic and built deep ties within the community during more than seven years of service, will retire Jan. 2, 2027, capping a 45‑year career in law enforcement.
The city announced his retirement July 14, noting that Chavez has spent decades in policing across San Jose, Livingston and the Central Valley. His career began in 1982, when he joined the San Jose Police Department as a 21‑year‑old officer. He spent 28 years there before serving two years with the San Jose/Evergreen College District Police Department. In 2012, he became Livingston’s police chief, bringing three decades of experience to the region. He was hired in Gustine in March 2020 — the same week the COVID‑19 pandemic forced widespread shutdowns.
Chavez said those first days in Gustine were unlike anything he had experienced. He recalled how then‑City Manager Doug Dunford, himself a former Gustine police chief, told him his first major assignment was to notify local businesses they had to close under federal orders…