HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The city of Huntington Beach plans to fill its police chief vacancy with the permanent hire of Eric Parra, a veteran with more than 33 years of experience.

Parra, 57, will take the reins from Julian Harvey, who has been holding down the job since the retirement of Robert Handy in November 2020.

“I am beyond grateful to have this opportunity to serve as Chief of Police here in my hometown of Huntington Beach,” said Parra in a news release. “I am looking forward to partnering with the Mayor, City Council, and staff as we work to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Surf City.”

Parra ends a short stint as police chief of the Alhambra Police Department, a medium-sized city located in the San Gabriel Valley. He took over there in March after serving as the assistant police chief.

Parra takes on an even bigger city in his new role, one more than twice the size of Alhambra and the fourth most populous city in Orange County.

The city had undergone an extensive interview process conducted by outgoing city manager Oliver Chi. 

“We are delighted to have found Eric to serve as our next Chief of Police,” Chi said in the release. “After an extensive recruitment process that included multiple assessment rounds with our management team and the Mayor and City Council, Eric was identified as having the best combination of experience and approach to lead the Huntington Beach Police Department into the future.”

It was one of Chi’s most important last tasks before heading to his new job as Irvine city manager, which begins Dec. 24.

Parra holds a degree in criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach and a law degree from Western State University College of Law.