Residents to be Included in Search for Permanent Police Chief

Several members of the public will help select the next police chief, in an effort to make the search as open as possible, said Petaluma City Manager John Brown.

The city manager can appoint the next police chief without outside involvement. But Brown said he wants professional and public input into the process, which he hopes to achieve with a selection committee comprised of regional police chiefs, several members of the Petaluma Police Department, heads of other city departments and two or three residents.

“One of the things I’m looking for is a very objective process and where all of the candidates have as fair of a shake as other candidates and I want to share the decision making with others,” Brown said.

The committee will whitle down the candidates, but Brown will still be the one who ultimately decides on who is offered the job.

The search will be conducted by a consultant, who has yet to be hired, and is expected to start next month. Brown hopes to announce a permanent police chief by July of this year.

Interim Police Chief Danny Fish, a 22-year veteran of the department, has expressed an interest in the position. So has former Captain Dave Sears, who was demoted to lieutenant last July when the city eliminated all captain positions in an effort to save money. But after news came out that Fish had an affair with a subordinate and allegedly denied it when asked by Brown about it, some question whether he can withstand the scrutiny of a selection process.

Fish and Sears have been described as having very different leadership styles, with department insiders describing Sears as “analytical and a good listener" and Fish as “methodical and precise,” someone who has come up through the organization working investigations, SWAT, narcotics and street crimes. 

Despite typically hiring a police chief from within the department, Brown said he wants to cast the net wide.

“We are looking for the very best, and while at least two men in the department are qualified, there may be more and it’s not doing a service for the community by only looking at that group,” he said.

The search is estimated to cost the city about $20,000, the same amount it cost to find a new Public Works and Utilities director, a position that has been vacant for a year after former director . Brown said he has made an offer for the position and is anticipating a response in the next week.

In terms of selecting residents for the search panel, Brown said he didn’t know how this would be done, but that it would limited to just a couple of people who would be able to objectively assess candidates.

“I realize there are a lot of people who think they ought to have a shot at deciding this position, but that isn’t going to happen,” Brown said. “It would be easier to leave the public out, but this is a place where inclusion is very important to people and I don’t know exactly how we’re going to go about figuring that out.”

Do you think the city should hire someone from within the police department or bring in some new talent to the organization?