One of the South Coast’s top law enforcement officers has announced she’s going to retire. Santa Barbara Police Chief Lori Luhnow will step down next February.
Luhnow is the department’s first female chief. She’s headed the department since 2016.
City leaders credit her with developing community-based policing programs which improved the department’s relationship with residents.
Luhnow has been a police officer for more than three decades, including a long career with the San Diego Police Department before coming to Santa Barbara.