Here's what the next Merced police chief will inherit

Merced’s next police chief can expect to face challenges in town but will also be inheriting a growing department in a rapidly changing city, according to city leaders.

Merced Police Chief Norm Andrade announced this week his intention to retire at the end of the year from a department where he’s worked for 29 years.

The city plans to name an interim chief to shadow Andrade through the end of the year, according to City Manager Steve Carrigan. The search for a permanent replacement will include a look within the department as well as seeking applicants from out of the area, he said.

“Maybe it’s an internal candidate. Maybe it’s from the 13 western states,” Carrigan said. “We’re going to cast a wide net.”

Change is happening throughout the city of Merced, he said, pointing to the planned High-Speed Rail stop and the extension of the ACE commuter train. Then there’s the expansion of UC Merced and the Downtown Center going up across from City Hall.

The city has a budget for 98 officers, but filling those spots and keeping officers remains challenges, leaders said. The new chief will need a plan for that, Carrigan said.

The city will be going into labor negotiations with the Merced Police Officers Association next year, Carrigan said.

The location for the next police station has been picked by city leaders, he said, but figuring out how to fund it will also be a challenge. “The next chief will certainly be at the front end of that project,” he said.

The 5.5-acre site at 3033 G St. was owned by McClatchy, the Sun-Star’s parent company, and was purchased by the city. Leaders are exploring a tax increase to pay the estimated $30 million construction cost.

An ongoing controversy surrounding Mered police has lingered for four months with no clear resolution in sight, and could be inherited by a new police chief. The Hookah lounge melee from July that ended with injuries to an officer and police discharging less lethal weapons at college students has not been resolved.

The Merced County District Attorney’s Office has not filed charges against any students involved, including against a student accused of punching an officer. Advocates for the students have said the police used excessive force in an otherwise peaceful gathering.

But the city is also seeing economic growth that could be appealing to applicants for the police chief job, according to Mayor Mike Murphy. The department is staffed officers with “good training,” he said, but Merced, like other cities, faces challenges in keeping staffing up.

“Staffing is a challenge for every city,” Murphy said. “We have a plan to add three to five officers every year. ... We’re seeing some progress.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2017 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Here's what the next Merced police chief will inherit."