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Mayor Moran announces departure of police chief Elias Vazquez; Ruiz named acting chief
Mayor Eddie Moran announced Friday that Reading Police Chief Elias Vazquez will step down from his role for personal reasons, praising his leadership for contributing to significant crime reductions and greater diversity within the department. Deputy Chief Javier Ruiz has been appointed Acting Chief of Police, with Captain of Patrol Aaron Demko promoted to Deputy Chief. In his remarks, Vazquez thanked city officials and officers for their support and recommended Deputy Chief Luz Shade as a strong candidate to succeed him permanently. Moran expressed confidence in the new leadership team, saying they will continue building on the department’s progress.