Some critics have said San Diego should follow that route or at least reveal who’s on the advisory panel up front.ĭonna Frye, past president of the open government group California Aware, said she doesn’t have a problem with keeping applicants confidential. Other cities have had a more open process, including public knowledge of who the police chief applicants are, or the finalists. “These flash-point issues can really turn the selection process into a lightning rod.” “I certainly understand the city’s position,” said Trevor Blair, principal and founder of Blair Search Partners, which is not involved in San Diego’s police chief search. Officer-involved shootings, racial profiling concerns, body camera use and other matters roil the public and can make an open process more difficult. The plan is to have a new chief hired by the time Zimmerman steps down.įrom the city’s perspective, a chief of police is a contentious position - not that there isn’t politics in higher education - and demands a protected search. The application period closed last Friday, and while he didn’t have numbers, Villa said there’s a broad spectrum of candidates. “We want to get the most qualified applicants interested in the city of San Diego process,” he said. Villa says this process, worked out in consultation with management firms, avoids the potential of a volatile public process “that tends to discourage applicants.” That information was gathered and will be forwarded to the advisory committee. Sometime before that meeting, but after their work is done, advisory committee members will be identified, Villa said.Įarlier, the city held several public forums on what qualities people want in a police chief. There will be a public comment period as well. Faulconer will send his nomination to the City Council for a confirmation hearing, where members can question the candidate and make comments. Recommendations then go to the mayor to make a selection. The advisory committee will look at that group and make recommendations to a smaller panel of law enforcement experts who will zero in on the candidates’ records, experience and managerial abilities, according to Villa. “All 24 panel positions will be filled by members of community groups throughout the City, including representatives from several of the City’s boards and commissions,” Katie Keach, the city’s communications director, said in an email.Ĭity officials and a contracted executive search firm, Roseville-based Bob Murray & Associates, will weed out unlikely candidates early on and bring the pool down to a manageable size. This gives the public an idea of those involved without exposing individual members. The city will publicly name those groups before the candidate vetting gets underway, but will not name the individuals until later, according to Ron Villa, the city’s deputy chief operating officer. In the face of some criticism, Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s administration says this is a transparent process and here’s why: Community groups are being asked to name a representative to the advisory committee. The reasoning is that panelists, if known, could be subject to pressure from interest groups as well as candidates seeking to replace Chief Shelley Zimmerman, who retires in March. Who is on the city’s police chief advisory committee is being kept private for now.
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