GARY E. MITROVICH

VICE PRESIDENT

Vice President Mitrovich is a native San Diegan and is part of the politically influential Mitrovich family.

Vice President Mitrovich joined the San Diego Police Department in 1980. In his career he has worked patrol, Community Relations, Administration, Juvenile Services and Investigations.

On September 14, 1984, Vice President Mitrovich was drawn into an officer involved shooting after coming upon the murder of two fellow officers. Despite being shot and seriously wounded by the suspect, Vice President Mitrovich was able return fire and help aid in the capture.  

In addition to the SDPD Medal for Valor and Purple Heart, as a member of the San Diego Police Historical Association, Vice President Mitrovich has been formally awarded the following:

SERVING 1997-2000 AND 2004 - 2011

•SDPHA Service Medal

•SDPHA Founders Medal

•Founding Member Citation

•Executive Board Citation

•OPH Campaign Citation

•Safe Driving Citation

Vice President Mitrovich is also a member of the San Diego Police Historical Association Hall of Fame. 

For his actions on September 14, 1984, Vice President Mitrovich was awarded the SDPD’s Medal for Valor and the Purple Heart. The Medal for Valor is the departments highest award and, despite having had more than 10,000 men and women serve in its history, it has been awarded by the SDPD less than 75 times.

During his time of service, Vice President Mitrovich was the most formally commended member of the SDPHA board of directors.

THE THIN BLUE LINE

In 1997, Vice President Mitrovich and two other officers founded the San Diego Police Historical Association and began the efforts to save the Old Police Headquarters at 801 W. Market Street.

In 2000 Vice President Mitrovich left the board of directors. He returned in 2004 as a Director I before his reappointment as a Vice President.

Due to his passion for history, Vice President Mitrovich is widely recognized as an expert on the history of both the SDPD as well as the now defunct city of East San Diego. In 2009, he released his first book, East of San Diego, the lost history of the East San Diego Police Department. He also served as a contributing author to the 2007 book, "America's Finest, the History of San Diego City Law Enforcement."

He has also had a number of articles related to SDPD history published in magazines around the US.

In 2005 Vice President Mitrovich served as the produce and production designer for a independent motion picture.

In 2010, Vice President Mitrovich served as the co-chair for annual conference of the Congress of History.