Palm Springs said goodbye to outgoing Police Chief Andy Mills in typical fashion for the city: an extravagant ceremony at the convention center.
In a 1.5-hour event that featured pickleball, a small child dressed as a police officer and a reveal about former President Bill Clinton, city leaders thanked Mills for his five years of service as the top law enforcement officer in Palm Springs.
"Chief Mills is leaving Palm Springs with an indelible mark in the city and all of our hearts," City Manager Scott Stiles said during the event.
Mills' last day as chief will be Saturday, when a longtime leader of the department, Kyle Stjerne, will take over. The retirement caps a nearly 50-year career in law enforcement.
During his tenure, he became a trusted
and popular figure within the city. He and his wife, Cathy, attended seemingly every public event and became friends with a wide array of community members.
In Palm Springs, with its large LGBTQ+ community, policing can require a nuanced approach. Mills' community-oriented approach was favored by many residents, who came to see the police chief and his wife as more than just local officials.
"We feel like we're losing a father and a mother in the gay community," Albert Gonzalez, co-founder of Eight4Nine said in a video during the ceremony. "We've never experienced that in the police chief."
There ceremony was lighthearted at times, with Stiles joking about Mills' love for pickleball. But it also proved emotional for some officers who Mills mentored during his time in Palm Springs.
Lt. Mike Torres nearly broke down in tears as he recalled Mills pushing him to be a better leader. His young son donned a police uniform and stood onstage while Mills spoke.
The ceremony also included the revelation that Mills had once addressed then-President Bill Clinton on community policing during a public safety forum at Brooklyn College. A video of the exchange, which was captured by the C-SPAN cable network, was shown.
Mills spoke for a little over five minutes at the end of the ceremony, thanking his wife and the community for supporting him.
"You have loved us, you accepted us, you worked with us, you read with us, you told us your most intimate and deep secrets," Mills said. "And Cathy and I are better people because of you."
Mills' leadership following the 2024 Parade of Lights parade crash, in which a motorcycle officer injured a dozen people, has been praised by some members of the community.
The incident prompted Mills to institute reforms within the department. During this period, he frequently stressed his desire to be transparent, which steered the department out of what could have been a major public scandal.
In replacing Mills, Stjerne is capping off a rise through the department that began in 2002, when he joined as an officer. Since then, he has advanced through the ranks, most recently becoming deputy police chief in January.
During the ceremony, he pledged to continue the Mills legacy of community engagement.
"What are the defining characteristic's of Andy's tenure? It's that he and Cathy didn't just simply live in Palm Springs, they became part of Palm Springs," he said. "They demonstrated that true community engagement isn't a program. It's not a slogan. It's not a single event. It's a core value of progressive policing. And that standard, that core value, will remain a bedrock of the Palm Springs Police Department under my leadership."
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs says goodbye to Police Chief Andy Mills with lavish event
