18-year vet of Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office named new Sonoma police chief

A lieutenant with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has been named the new police chief of the city of Sonoma.

Brandon Cutting, an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, got the nod after an internal recruitment process. He will succeed Chief Orlando Rodriguez, who is retiring after a 27-year career in law enforcement.

“The beauty of (Sonoma) is visible; the safety adds to that, and it is my position that your Police Department needs to provide a firm and compassionate level of policing to be sure the safety remains as perfect as the visible surroundings,” Cutting said.

Cutting was born and raised in the Midwest, moving to California in 1990 as an enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard. He was transferred to Sonoma County in 1993 where he attended corpsman school until he was honorably discharged in 1998.

He joined the Sonoma County’s Sheriff’s Office in 2005 as a deputy. Cutting has worked in the office’s patrol division, with street gang enforcement, violent crime investigations and is a member of the sheriff’s SWAT team.

Eventually becoming a sergeant and lieutenant, he supervised the same units. And he spent two years working in the professional standards unit as a manager of internal affairs, liaison to the police oversight committee, use of force manager and policy manager.

“My experiences at the Sheriff’s Office have taught me a great deal about the communities in Sonoma County, their law enforcement needs, and the department’s ability to meet and exceed those,” Cutting said. “The city of Sonoma is an idyllic community with amazing people. Being able to apply my knowledge and experiences in the leadership of your police department is an honor that I don’t take lightly.”

Cutting met his wife in 1993 in Sonoma County. Together they have three boys, of which the youngest, age 17, still lives at home. Their middle son is a correctional deputy with the Sheriff’s Office and will attend the law enforcement academy in January as a deputy trainee. The eldest son works as a sales rep for a San Francisco brewery.

When not working, Cutting finds himself paddling a surfski on a nearby lake and hiking with his family and 2-year-old Bullador — a cross between a Labrador retriever and English bulldog.

Cutting’s tenure with the city officially begins Tuesday.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at 707-521-5209 or kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com.