Jorge Zamora was born and raised in the City of Watsonville.
His parents, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, were field workers who often brought young Jorge to work along their side.
The Watsonville native set foot in the Watsonville Police Department in 1991 as a police cadet. In 1996, he was hired as a full-time Watsonville Police Officer and continued to work his way up the ranks. Zamora’s law enforcement experience includes patrol, gang and narcotic enforcement, S.W.A.T., detectives, field training officer, hostage negotiations, walking beat, Regional Occupational Program instructor, and youth mentorship. Jorge was also an associate professor at the Union Institute & University undergraduate program.
In January of 2022, Zamora was sworn in as the 16th Chief of Police for the City of Watsonville and the first first-generation Mexican-American to hold this role.
Zamora is the Chair of the Santa Cruz County Youth Violence Prevention Network and is on the Board of Directors at Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University and a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California.