After almost two years, the search for a permanent full-time Hermosa Beach police chief may soon come to a close.
Mayor Kit Bobko, drawing the ire of some of his colleagues on the council as he bucked usual hiring protocol, announced last week that the city has narrowed a large field of candidates down to two finalists – and that he was throwing his support behind one of the two candidates, Cecil Rhambo.
The announcement came on the heels of a long, thorough, and occasionally agonizing search and abruptly made the final stages of the hiring process unusually public.
“We had 47 applicants,” Hermosa Beach City Manager Tom Bakaly said. “We got the list down to six finalists and they were interviewed by a panel and they were forwarded along to me based on their assessment of how these candidates would fit in the community.”
Rhambo, an assistant sheriff who is a 31-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Sharon Papa, an assistant commanding officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, came out on top after an extensive interview process that included an interview panel consisting of select Hermosa Beach citizens as well as Hermosa Beach Fire Department Chief David Lantzer. The finalists were invited to an invitation-only event on Thursday evening to allow locals to mingle with the candidates and further suss out the appropriate person for the job.
Bobko announced his support for Rhambo in a personal press release Friday morning after meeting with the two candidates the night before.
“It is unfortunate that Hermosa Beach has not had a full-time contracted Chief of Police for the past year,” Bobko said in the release. “We’ve had a string of concerns when it comes to this very important position. I believe Cecil Rhambo will provide enthusiastic, strong, and principled leadership for our Department and ask those who join me in desiring a strong leader for our Department to ask the City Manager to name Rhambo our new Chief.”
The press release generated a storm of controversy surrounding the impending appointment.
“My understanding is all staff appointments are made by City Manager,” Councilmember Jeff Duclos said in an interview. “He hires personnel, the city council does not – it’s always been that way. That Kit expressed his opinion in terms of who he wanted in the position at the event is beyond inappropriate. It’s not his appointment.”
The Hermosa Beach Police Department has been without a permanent full-time Police Chief since January 2012, when longtime Chief Greg Savelli moved on to a new position at the Department of Transportation.
Since then the position has been filled for 15 months by in-house HBPD Captain Steve Johnson and since April, by newcomer Mike McCrary. Since Savelli moved on, the city has conducted two separate rounds of soliciting applicants. The first round of applicants was not deemed “up-to-snuff,” Duclos said. Bakaly and a hired head-hunter went back to the drawing board and sought a new pool of applicants. To sweeten the deal, the city council okayed a pay hike from $148,000 to $163,000 yearly, with an additional $20,000 signing bonus if the appointee stayed on two years.
“We want to make sure we get the right person,” said Bakaly. “That’s why we decided to go back out a few months ago… but we’re ready to make a permanent appointment.”
In April, Bakaly was advised by the city council to find a permanent chief by August.
“I worry about the impact of a body not having a dedicated leader,” Council member Michael DiVirgilio said during the April council meeting. “I [recommend] we hightail it and find our police chief sooner rather than later, three to four months being max, and that we kick it off immediately.”
He added that when Bakaly was hired, one of his two goals, along with drafting a strategic plan, was to hire a permanent chief.
“We were fortunate to have interim chiefs that have been outstanding,” said Bobko in an interview on Monday. “But two years is too long, we need somebody who is going to put an imprint on the department and be strong and provide leadership.”
“It’s been an excellent experience for me,” said McCrary, about his experience leading the HBPD. He added that he would hope the new chief would be able to provide direction to the department and have good people skills. “They’ve made me feel very welcome both at police department and city-wide. I have enjoyed my time here; it’s a great city to work for.”
Former Mayor Gary Brutsch said that he felt what Bobko did was necessary for the transparency of the hiring process.
“In the recent past there’s been less than stellar performance in the selection of police chief,” said Brutsch, who said he personally was involved in the firing of two police chiefs during his tenure with the city. “So now we go through the process again and there’s some suspicion as to whether the process is going to be adequate, which is perhaps why Bobko was trying to do some due diligence to make sure the citizens of Hermosa Beach will have some proper law enforcement.”
Brutsch also said that although the city manager makes the appointment, the city council is accountable for everything, including the lack of leadership within the police department.
“Now they’re moving forward to make sure we have the best law enforcement,” said Brutsch. “And Kit said, ‘Hey I looked at everything and I want to say as mayor I’m trying to show that we’re doing the best we can.’ I think that’s admirable.”
Bobko said that he watched Rhambo in action in Hermosa Beach on July 4 when he implemented tactical plans and brought in 50 additional Sheriff’s Department personnel and equipment, a quality he felt was important for a HBPD leader.
“I’m endorsing him because he’s a very strong tactical leader and spent his entire career on the field,” said Bobko.
Duclos said that Bobko’s endorsement did nothing to help the candidate he approved.
“It usurped the process,” Duclos said. “It was a slap in the face to the city manager and everybody else to impose his will. Tom didn’t have an obligation even to go to us. He could have said, ‘I’ve hired the person, this is who it is.’ He has that authority it is his responsibility, in a way, [that is] damaged by this action… It’s undermining the process, we’re committed to… and it ultimately doesn’t help the candidate at all.”
Despite the backlash, Bakaly is confident in the two surviving candidates’ credentials.
“Both of them would fit in given their experience and knowledge of policing,” said Bakaly. “Both are high level and have years of experience and knowledge of policing in communities.”
Bakaly said that he expects to make a decision by the end of the week.
“We went to this meeting [Thursday’s mixer] and thought, ‘Wow this process really works – we came up with two great candidates. We can’t go wrong.’ ”ER
