POLICE CHIEF - SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA The City of - invites your interest in the position of - Ralph Andersen & Associates
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The City of
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
invites your interest in the position of
POLICE CHIEF
Recruitment Services Provided by Ralph Andersen & Associates
Welcome to A Career Capstone Opportunity
Santa Monica, World-renowned Santa Monica seeks a dynamic, proven
Police Chief to lead its Police Department into the next era.
Emerging from the pandemic, the next Chief will have the
C A L I F O R N I A opportunity to strengthen its community trust, lead through
a period of sweeping change, and build preparedness for
the upcoming Olympic Games.
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 2
The Community
The City of Santa Monica is a beautiful beachfront community
of 8.3 square miles. Home to approximately 92,000 residents,
Santa Monica has earned an international reputation as a
progressive and forward-thinking municipality well known
for its high quality of life, innovative policies and programs,
uniquely participatory local democracy, and commitment
to social and economic diversity, fair housing, the arts, and
sustainability.
Residents, businesses, and visitors alike are attracted to Santa
Monica, a community-centered, multi-cultural beach town,
because of its desirable location and first-class amenities. The
City offers beautiful neighborhoods, world-renowned beaches,
the iconic Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade, a
thriving arts community, beloved local restaurants, excellent
schools, exceptional health care including two local hospitals,
award-winning City facilities, and plenty of sunshine.
Santa Monica’s seven neighborhoods house a residential
population of approximately 71% renters, due in part to
generous rent control and affordable housing policies. The
approximately 9,858 businesses located in the City offer some
91,235 jobs. In addition to the City’s beloved local businesses,
everything from high profile entertainment companies and
world class retail to small entrepreneurial start-ups call Santa
Monica home, including Activision, Beautycounter, Cedar
Sinai, Hulu, Lionsgate, Providence St. John’s, Snap, Twitter,
and UCLA Health. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 5.6
million tourists visited Santa Monica annually, contributing to
its economic strength.
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 3
The Government Santa Monica is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. The City Manager reports to a seven-member, part-time City Council, which is elected at-large and designates its own Mayor. The City Manager has a strong executive team that includes the City’s ten department directors. Santa Monica’s level and breadth of services surpass those of other cities of comparable size. The City provides a full range of services, including police and fire protection, water and wastewater, street maintenance, public landscaping, a regional transit system that serves 13.2 million riders each year, parking, parks and recreation including 245 acres of beaches, five public libraries, planning, building and safety, the Santa Monica Pier, an airport, a cemetery, and a high level of support for social services, cultural programs, and public education. As a AAA-rated city, Santa Monica has long relied on conservative fiscal assumptions to plan ahead. The City repositioned itself in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, restructuring operations and adopting a significantly reduced FY2021-22 operating budget of $613.6 million, including 1,877 full time employees, putting the City on a financially sustainable track for the future. City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 4
The Santa Monica Police Department The SMPD provides its services through a total staff of 443 employees, including 224 sworn officers, and an annual budget of $98.9 million (FY 20-21). Reporting directly to the Police Chief are a Deputy Police Chief, 4 Police Captains, 2 Lieutenants (Executive Officer/Public Information Officer and Internal Affairs), a Senior Administrative Analyst, and an Executive Assistant. The SMPD has fully committed to the six pillars 21st Century Policing in all aspects of service delivery, and the Department fully embraces its role as guardians of the community – rejecting a warrior mindset. The Department is proud of how well it represents the diversity of Santa Monica. With a nearly even balance of sworn and non- sworn professional staff, the overall composition is 40% Hispanic, 38% White, 13% Black, 6% Asian, and 3% of other races. Aside from English, employees can communicate with the community in Spanish, Farsi, German, French, Korean, Chinese, and American Sign Language. Over half of the sworn staff have a Bachelor’s degrees or higher. City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 5
May 31, 2020
On May 31, 2020, in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protestors gathered in
Santa Monica. On the afternoon of May 31, 2020, while the protest was ongoing, individuals engaged in looting
and violence that resulted in significant damage to stores, restaurants, and vehicles in and around Santa
Monica’s downtown area and along its commercial boulevards. The Santa Monica Police Department was
criticized for its performance during the incident, both in the tactics it employed as well as in the looting and
violence that occurred. The City subsequently engaged an experienced firm to conduct an independent
after-action report and evaluation regarding the events leading to, during, and following May 31, 2020. The
release of the report is expected in the coming weeks and the next Police Chief will likely have detailed
evaluation and a series of recommendations to consider.
Challenges and Opportunities
The next Police Chief will be presented with a number of foreseeable challenges and opportunities through
which to lead:
♦ The next Police Chief will need to provide the Santa Monica community with increased safety, while also
leaning into the sea wave of reforms taking place in policing today. Top candidates will not view the two
as exclusive, but rather will embrace the challenge of identifying new and effective ways of working with
the community to increase public safety and public trust. Furthermore, the next Chief will help ensure
others in the community support increased safety and accountability simultaneously, as there are strong
opinions in the community that both need to be increased.
♦ In a similar vein, a newly formed Public Safety Reform & Oversight Commission (PSROC) will provide civilian
oversight for the Santa Monica Police Department. The next Police Chief will not only need to be a strong
and effective partner with the PSROC as it is being stood up but will also need to help generate buy-in for
civilian oversight in the Police Department. SMPD has long been regarded as a leading progressive police
department and can lead in this regard as well.
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 6
Challenges and Opportunities continued
♦ The next Police Chief will have the opportunity to mentor and invest in the professional development of the
management ranks of the Department. With a strong reputation and highly competitive compensation,
SMPD does better than its peers in recruitment and retention and its demographics are more reflective
of its community than many police departments. As a wave of retirements within the Department’s
ranks approaches, SMPD must be positioned to continue hiring excellent officers that are reflective of the
community.
♦ Homelessness is a leading social dilemma facing many cities today and all effective approaches in
responding to it involve collaboration. The next Chief will find many willing partners in the City organization
and in the community to jointly address community impacts arising from the regional homelessness crisis.
The new Police Chief will be expected to be a key community leader, a highly visible partner, and collaborator
in this regard.
♦ Surrounded by Los Angeles, the Santa Monica community is a progressive, educated, and engaged
community. Its relatively small size has afforded its community with a high level of access to community
leaders and the expectations are high. However, its permanent population belies the complexity of the City,
with daytime populations swelling 300% with industry and tourism. The Police Chief will be the role model for
accessibility, empathy, and selfless service in a city whose residents still view Santa Monica as a small town.
♦ The arrival of light rail in Santa Monica, the tech industry, and other factors have set Santa Monica on a path
of change. The next Chief will need to lead the SMPD in a manner that anticipates and prepares for change
and major events. Whether it is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a natural disaster, or a social event, Santa
Monica needs a fully prepared police department.
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 7The Ideal Candidate
The City of Santa Monica seeks a highly ethical, collaborative, and dynamic Police Chief who will:
♦ Continually balance a variety of viewpoints and interests in the community, within the city organization,
and within the police department. The Chief needs to have empathy, stamina, and finesse to navigate
successfully.
♦ Be a selfless leader who is genuine and has a global view that promotes the best interests of the City. The
ideal candidate will rely on teamwork and collaboration within the department, within the community,
and within the broader city organization.
♦ Consistently promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The Chief’s decisions and, ultimately the actions of
SMPD, affect people differently. The Chief should be attuned to the immense diversity within Santa Monica
and have a keen understanding of how policing affects people, organizations, and businesses. SMPD has
an ongoing to commitment to provide cultural awareness and sensitivity training for its officers and seeks
a Chief that will continue that commitment.
♦ Be a strong leader with strong communication skills, compassionate, empathetic, highly collaborative,
and transparent. The Chief should be proud of the SMPD’s work and encourage openness for continued
improvement whenever possible, and accountability at all times.
♦ Be a leader in the field of progressive policing. Santa Monica has the issues, the resources, and the support
to lead with innovative public safety strategies. In the same vein, the Chief must actively engage the
community in dialogue regarding social justice issues and police reform.
♦ Be well experienced in a similarly complex and progressive city, ideally with experience as a Police Chief.
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 8Education and Experience The desired educational and experience qualifications for the position of Police Chief include: Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree Criminal Justice, Public Administration, or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred, as is continued executive professional development such as the FBI National Academy, Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), and POST Command College. Experience: At least seven years of recent, senior level executive management experience in a municipal police agency. Prior experience as a Police Chief in a diverse and complex city is highly desired. City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 9
Compensation and Benefits The salary for the Police Chief is $235,644 to $290,916, commensurate with qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. The selected candidate will enjoy excellent benefits including CalPERS (3%@50 for Classic members and 2.7%@57 for New members). Additionally, the City of Santa Monica offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. To Be Considered Interested candidates should apply by May 24, 2021. To be considered, submit a compelling cover letter and comprehensive resume to apply@ralphandersen.com. Top candidates may be asked to complete supplemental material to elaborate on areas of expertise and demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively. Candidates are encouraged to apply early for maximum consideration. This is a highly confidential search process. References will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established. Confidential inquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Chief Bryan Noblett (ret.) or Chief Greg Nelson (ret.), Ralph Andersen & Associates, at (916) 630-4900. City of Santa Monica | Police Chief Page 10
The City of Santa Monica is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to build
balanced teams from all walks of life without regard to race, color, ethnicity,
religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status,
ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status
protected under federal, state and/or local law. We aim to create a workplace
that celebrates and embraces the diversity of our employees. Join us!
City of Santa Monica | Police Chief santamonica.gov Page 11
The City of
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
Recruitment Services Provided by Ralph Andersen & AssociatesYou can also read
