By Kristina Davis | [email protected] | The San Diego Union-Tribune

Escondido Police Chief Ed Varso is retiring, and a national search to find his replacement will begin after the new year, the department announced Thursday.

Varso first joined the Escondido Police Department in 2001 as an officer after beginning his law enforcement career as a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. He has served two tenures as Escondido's chief -- beginning in January 2020, then again in late 2022 after a six-month stint as the chief of the Menifee Police Department in Riverside County.

"It has been an honor to serve as Chief of Police through some of the most challenging times ever to face the City of Escondido," he said in a statement.

Varso drew attention as a new chief in 2020 when he knelt with Black Lives Matter supporters, a little more than a week after Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd.

"I'm standing here on behalf of my department to make sure the community understands that we are all together in this, we all condemn what happened to Mr. Floyd," Varso said at the time.

On Thursday he thanked city officials and the community for their trust in him over the years and in turn said he had "full faith" in the department's current leadership.

"As for my next chapter, my wife and I are excited to move to land in Texas, where we can be closer to friends and family," Varso said. "Escondido, you will always have a special place in my heart."

Varso has served in nearly every division of the department over his career, including special investigations, traffic and a special assignment in the city manager's office to address public safety, homelessness and code enforcement issues. He also worked with at-risk youth, including as former chair of theEscondido Drug-Free Communities Coalition and former co-chair of the Escondido Gang Reduction and Intervention Program.

"Ed has been an incredible leader during his time in Escondido," City Manager Sean McGlynn said in a statement. "He has been extremely visible in our community and has proactively made himself available to our residents. His investment in the safety of Escondido is apparent in the legacy he is leaving behind."

Varso's last day is Dec. 5.

The appointment of a new chief is expected by June, city officials said. In the meantime, McGlynn said he will rotate the department's three captains into the acting chief role.