A Ventura County city named a woman as its new chief of police, the city announced Saturday.
27-year law enforcement veteran Monica McGrath will take the post in Camarillo in February, acccording to a press release.
McGrath has been with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which contracts police services to Camarillo, since 1987, the release said. She was selected by the Camarillo City Manager.
A former station captain in Camarillo, McGrath also served as police chief of Fillmore, a city with a population about one quarter that of Camarillo's 66,000 people.
She replaces Commander Guy Stewart, who was named an assistant sheriff, the press release said.
Women running law enforcement agenices are rare, but not unheard of, in California.
Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and El Cerrito Police Chief Sylvia Moir both spoke at a women in law symposium held by the California Police Chiefs Association in October. They've held their posts since 2008 and 2010, respectively.
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And as attorney general, Kamala Harris has been the state's chief law enforcement agent since 2011.
