In a letter addressed "To the Antioch Community," Ford said he was grateful for the opportunity and has worked with "some very talented and passionate people -- it has been a great privilege to learn and grow from them."
Ford's tenure has been marred by his department being investigated by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney for the past year-and-a-half for civil rights violations stemming from text messages. The scandal has been big enough for many to call for a federal takeover of the department.
Ford had been attending several community meetings, where residents vented their anger at the police department.
The California Attorney General's Office announced its own civil rights investigation earlier this year, and at least two members of Congress have urged U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a Justice Department probe.
Nearly half of the department's approximately 100 officers -- including 16 in management positions – have been implicated in a racist and homophobic texting scandal. This includes threats against Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who is African American, and other African Americans and people of color.
Many of the texts showed officers using racist language and describing police violence against suspects. Ford was also targeted in some of the messages.
Dozens of officers have been suspended, at least one has been fired, and the city is scrambling to fully staff its ranks.
