Los Altos Police Capt. Andy Galea is not a new face around Los Altos. The St. Francis High School alumnus joined the city’s force seven years ago. With Police Chief Tuck Younis’ imminent retirement, Galea will become the new chief of the Los Altos Police Department effective Dec. 17.
The Town Crier asked Galea a few questions to get better acquainted with him and to understand his plans for the department going forward. The conversation has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
Q: First a bit about yourself. Where do you live and how long have you been in law enforcement? What are your hobbies when you’re taking time off?
A: I have lived in Menlo Park for the last 15 years and came to the Los Altos Police Department after serving 31 years with the San Jose Police Department.
I graduated from St. Francis High School in Mountain View and graduated from Menlo College in Atherton. My wife and I are both avid skiers and hope that this will be another good ski season.
Q: How long have you known Tuck Younis?
A: Tuck and I met on the first day of the San Jose Police Department Police Academy over 30 years ago. San Jose is a very large agency, but we always stayed in contact and maintained a close friendship.
Q: What sets Los Altos apart from some of its neighboring communities, from a police perspective?
A: The citizens of Los Altos are what sets Los Altos apart. Our residents are generally well informed, civic-minded and care about the city where they live and raise their families.
Los Altos is a very safe community because of its partnership between the police department and the community. We will respond and investigate any crime or public nuisance that takes place in Los Altos.
Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the department as you take the helm?
A: Law enforcement and the perception of law enforcement nationally is changing. We currently live in very challenging times, and there is justifiably a lot of scrutiny on the police profession.
We have several vacancies that we are in the process of filling. Finding high-caliber individuals to fill the spots is becoming more of a challenge than ever before.
There are a lot of talented young people out there, and police agencies are all competing for the same group. We need to be competitive and find the best candidates who are interested in law enforcement for the right reasons.
We are looking for candidates who are oriented toward community service and who want to be a part of a very honorable profession.
Q: Los Altos has traditionally had a very good relationship between residents and the police. How will you try to continue that positive relationship?
A: I would like to see the department expand our Neighborhood Watch. Every department member will be challenged to seek new ways to work with our residents, schools and business community, but nothing will replace the hundreds of contacts that our officers and civilian personnel make each day with the community.
Q: Los Altos has experienced a rash of burglaries and mail thefts recently. How do you plan to tackle those problems?
A: These crimes are not unique to Los Altos, so we work very closely with our neighboring law enforcement agencies to share information and identify and apprehend individuals.
Los Altos is a very safe community, and as a result we see many crimes that are committed that I consider to be crimes of opportunity. We must continue to educate our residents about not leaving valuables in unlocked cars, locking their doors and windows at home, and setting their alarm systems if they have one.
Q: What are you excited about in 2017?
A: Chief Younis is leaving the organization in very good shape, and I look forward to building on the solid foundation he has left and working closely with our schools, residents and business owners to keep Los Altos a great place to live and raise a family.
