Input Sought in Recruitment of SJ's Next Police Chief

City officials would like to know what qualities the city manager should consider in evaluating candidates for police chief. The city has contracted with Teri Black-Brann, of Teri Black & Company, an executive recruitment firm, to conduct the search.

Based on past public input, the search is focused on five themes:

Theme 1: Culturally Competent

The next Police Chief should have the lcnowledge, skills and motivation to work with and respect the diverse groups and communities in San Jose, including the most vulnerable members of the public (mental illness, victims of domestic violence, etc.).

Theme 2: Community Engagement and Community Policing

The next Police Chief should be committed to ensuring that members of the Police Department engage with the community regularly and in meaningful ways, including having a record of promoting community policing policies and practices.

Theme 3: Effective Manager, Communicator and Collaborator

The next Police Chief should have strong management skills and b~e able to communicate effectively with the workforce, community, City leaders, and the media while working collaboratively with different agencies, organizations and groups. Included under this theme is the ability to be innovative and creative in managing limited resources and budgets.

Theme 4: Courageous Leader who is Honest and Transparent

The next Police Chief should adhere to the highest ethical standards, which includes being able to make difficult decisions that he or she believes are in the best interest of community safety, even if it might prove to be unpopular with the some segments of the community or workforce.

Theme 5: Record of Crime Prevention and Suppression

The new Police Chief should have a strong record of crime prevention and suppression at all levels, as demonstrated throughout the person’s career and in response to different types of crime and in community environments similar to San Jose.

Four community meetings have been scheduled for November and December. Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be available at each meeting: 

• Monday, November 26 –6:30 to 8 p.m. at Berryessa Community Center, 3050 Berryessa Road.
• Wednesday, November 28 – 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Avenue.
• Monday, December 3 – 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Avenue.
• Monday, December 10 – 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Road 

The Neighborhood Commission also will be discussing the Police Chief recruitment at its meeting on December 12. In addition, we are conducting a short online survey in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to provide another avenue of community input. The links for these surveys will be advertised in a number of places including www.sanjoseca.gov.

Read more at http://www.piersystem.com/external/content/document/1914/1614835/1/11-19-12%20CMO.PDF