Esco Police Chief Ed Varso retires, closing storied career

The air in Escondido carries a strange weight today, an odd mix of nostalgia and finality.

Chief Ed Varso—yes, the Ed Varso, the man who climbed the law enforcement ladder like a dog on a scent trail—has announced his retirement. December 5 marks the end of an era, or maybe just the curtain call for a long-running, bureaucratic drama that somehow stayed gripping.

Varso’s journey began in 1997 with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a baptism by fire if there ever was one. By 2001, he traded LA’s chaos for the comparatively tame streets of Escondido, signing on as a patrol officer. But Varso wasn’t just another badge in the lineup; he was a man on the move. From pounding the pavement to managing a K-9 unit, this guy didn’t just play the game—he rewrote the rules. By 2011, he’d snagged a sergeant’s stripes, and the promotions kept coming: Lieutenant in 2015, Captain in 2018, Assistant Chief in 2019, and finally, the big chair in 2020.

Let’s not gloss over the sheer madness of taking the helm of a police department in 2020. A global pandemic, social unrest, and political landmines that would make a lesser man duck for cover. But Varso didn’t duck; he leaned in. And just as the city started to catch its breath, he pulled a wild card, packing his bags for the newborn Menifee Police Department. There, he wove his community policing gospel into the DNA of an entirely new operation before returning to Escondido to don the Chief’s badge once more.

The man was everywhere. Managing divisions, leading the Emergency Negotiations Team, and even playing the mouthpiece as Public Information Officer. Hell, Varso wasn’t just a cog in the Escondido machine—he was the machine. Special Investigations, Traffic, Communications, Evidence—you name it, he ran it. In 2017, he took a special assignment in the City Manager’s office, tackling issues like homelessness and public safety with the zeal of a man who thinks sleep is for amateurs.

Varso’s not just a cop; he’s a networker, a community whisperer. From mentoring at-risk youth to co-chairing gang intervention programs, he walked the tightrope between law and outreach with rare finesse. A chair on the California Police Chief’s Association board, degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy to boot—this guy’s résumé reads like a tactical manual.

But now, the game is over. Varso’s off to Texas with his wife, trading Escondido’s streets for wide-open land and the chance to finally exhale. “Escondido, you’ll always have my heart,” he said, leaving a city wondering how the hell they’ll fill the void.

City Manager Sean McGlynn, ever the diplomat, praised Varso’s leadership and vowed to shuffle captains in the interim. A national search kicks off in 2025, but good luck finding another like Varso. Men like him don’t just retire; they exit stage left, leaving everyone wondering what the next act will be.