CHP-Solano commander retires
Amid a touch of sadness and an abundance of well wishes Friday, Capt. Steve West, commander of the Solano branch of the California Highway Patrol, retired.
He had served 23 years with the CHP, the last two at the Fairfield office.
Seated in a patrol car Friday, he checked in for a final time and listened to a message from CHP Golden Gate Division's communications center.
“The Solano Area would like to thank you for no only being their captain, but for being a friend, a mentor and inspiring greatness in all of them,” advised a dispatcher. “They thank you for your open-door policy, your dedication to the area and your selfless leadership.
“You encourage your officers to dream more, do more and become more.”
He leaves not only as a great boss, the dispatcher emphasized, but also a great person with a wealth of integrity, respect and compassion.
Clearly moved, he thanked her and signed off to cheers and applause.
West began his career with the CHP at the Marin County office in 1999. He later moved to the Castro Valley and Solano Area offices and the Cordelia Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility (where he was named commander in 2017). In 2018, he was promoted to captain of the Professional Training Section at CHP Headquarters in Sacramento.
The longtime Solano resident also served in the Air Force for 33 years. He began his career in 1989 and transferred from active duty to a reservist as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee in 1999. In 2003, he transferred into the Traditional Reserve.
In January 2015, West was named the Mobilization Augmentee to the Security Forces Career Field Manager for Security Forces and has had deployments in support of Operation Desert Shield, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Most recently, he served as the Mobilization Augmentee to the Security Forces Career Field Manager for Headquarters United States Air Force. He was the enlisted advisor to the Director of Security Forces.
West retired from the Air Force earlier this year at the rank of chief master sergeant.