Manteca Police Lt. Jodie Estarziau has been named the city’s first woman police chief.
Estarziau, 42, is also the second cadet ever to start as a Manteca Police cadet and work their way up to police chief. The other was Dave Bricker.
Acting City Greg Showerman made the announcement at Wednesday’s Manteca Chamber of Commerce coffee hosted by Crossroads Community Church.
Two Manteca Police officers were also credited for their past actions by retiring Police Chief Nick Obligacion at the morning coffee.  Detective Lance Casqueiro was awarded the coveted gold star for valor in saving a suicidal man’s life, pulling him from the path of an approaching freight train at the Yosemite Avenue crossing in downtown Manteca.
Dave Brown was presented with a life saving award for his action in using the Heimlich maneuver when he was called to assist a woman who was reportedly choking on a piece of meat at a Manteca restaurant on Yosemite Avenue.  Brown was on his dinner break while on duty and rushed to the woman’s aid after several other diners had failed in their attempts to dislodge the blockage in her throat.
Both Brown and Casqueiro are veteran officers in Manteca. Casqueiro had lost his job with the force in a cutback in 2008 with the economic down turn, but later returned as a dispatcher. He then became a community service officer before a slot for a regular officer opened in the department. Casqueiro is now a detective.
A nationwide search had been conducted for the chief’s position with applications coming from various states including Arizona, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, Illinois and Texas, according to acting city manager Greg Showerman. Director of Human Resources and Risk Management Joe Kriskovich noted  assessment panels were conducted where both Estarziau and Kyle Shipherd — who was named as the fire chief — were the top candidates for their respective positions.
Estarziau began her law enforcement career at age 16 as a member of the Manteca Police Cadet Corps while attending Ripon High School.  She worked as a dispatcher for the Ripon Police Department in her early years and later held various positions within the Manteca Police Department including that of dispatcher, community service officer and eventually police officer.
She was a member of the hostage negotiation team, a field training officer and a member of the Mounted Patrol with her horse Stanley.  In 2008 she was promoted to the rank of sergeant and in 2011 she was elevated to the position of Administrative Sergeant. She was promoted to lieutenant last year.
Estarziau earned an Associate of Science Degree in the Administration of Justice from Modesto Junior College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute and University in Sacramento.  She has also attended numerous Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) classes.  She has completed the Police Academy Certificate, Supervisory Leadership Certificate and is currently in the process of completing the Management Course.
Other credits include having been the police employee of the year, Manteca Rotary Officer of the Year in 2014, serving as public information officer, chairman of the citywide Safety Committee, Terrorism Liaison Officer, Crisis Response Team Leader, a member of the California Hostage Negotiators and an instructor in Emergency Vehicle Operations.
Estarziau and her husband Jeremy have been married for the past 11 years. They two children, Brandon, 8, and Brooke, 5.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading and horseback riding.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.