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Tuesday, Sep. 01, 2009

Herbert A. Opalek: Choosing a police chief

We all agree that the right police chief is essential to our community.

He must be wise, decisive, and able to inspire and lead. He must be understanding; knowing when to temper justice with mercy.

We must all applaud City Manager John Bramble's decision to appoint Norm Andrade as chief of police.

Having been nominated by members of the City Council, I recently sat on the citizens selection panel with 13 other citizens.

There were six excellent candidates, and I was pleased to realize that Merced was in capable hands. All the candidates were asked the exact same questions and we had ample opportunity to compare responses and discern management and leadership qualities.

The Merced Police Department's vision is to be a trusted, professional organization renowned for exceptional, ethical service and committed to the community's well being. And each of the candidates shared his personal aspirations of meeting this goal.

What skills make a great police chief? The job requires excellent social and oratory skills that combine with courage to stick by one's convictions. Outgoing Police Chief Russ Thomas has shown that it is equally important to have an evenly balanced temperament encapsulated in a problem-solving paradigm. In other words, the chief must have good management skills.

I remember departing Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton from his New York City days. Jerry Sullivan, the editor and publisher of the Los Angeles Garment & Citizen, was correct in assessing Bratton's tenure when he wrote, "The guy works very hard at every aspect of his duties. It's a habit that can touch other lives as a matter of course."

I know that I want our police chief to be intense in the dispensing of law and order.

It is amazing what a police chief has to know and be au courant on. Perusing the table of contents of the current issue of Police Chief magazine one can see such diversified items as "U.S. Secret Service's Computer Forensic Training for State and Local Agencies," "Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety," "Targeting Crash and Crime Hot Spots," "Providing Police Services to the Deaf" and "Advising Houses of Worship on a Comprehensive and Balanced Security Plan."

What should we be looking forward to in our new police chief? I would hope that he would continue Chief Thomas' legacy: getting police out of their cars and into the community, building relationships and not barriers by being part of the community and not apart from it.

We need to continue bringing in new technology, putting our resources where crime is the greatest. When economically feasible we must increase the size and the diversity of the department whose officers have been seen as hostile outsiders in the neighborhoods they patrol.

In order to help unify Merced, the new chief must require his command staff to read the International Association of Chiefs of Police publication, "A Symbol of Fairness and Neutrality -- Policing Diverse Communities in the 21st Century."

The city manager did a good job when he hired from within. There was no need to expend needed monies for search committees.

Our pool of top police officers was well trained the last three years and Merced has benefited greatly from Russ Thomas' tenure. I believe that Norm Andrade will continue to lead this department to new and greater achievements. Kudos all around.

Herbert A. Opalek is CEO of the Merced County Rescue Mission.