AssistDnt police chief position DpproveH
The Vallejo City Council approved the hiring of an assistant police chief during Tuesday night’s Zoom meeting.
Only Councilmember Robert McConnell dissented, with the $222,000 a year position expected to be filled within six to eight months, according to Mayor Bob Sampayan.
Sampayan said he “was very convinced” by Police Chief Shawny Williams that the new position was necessary, agreeing with the chief that “when an issue needs to be resolved, with every member of the PD including management team, members of the VPOA (Vallejo Police Officers Association), there can be a conflict getting it resolved.”
Sampayan acknowledged many of the 92 emailed comments to the council before Tuesday’s meeting were against the new post, believing the money should go to other services.
“From the calls, the emails and what we saw in the comments, our community is steadfast against this idea. This needs a lot of community discussion so our community knows why this needs to be done,” Sampayan said.
“The position will help develop police strategies and only help prevent crime, but investigate crime and provide better services to the community,” Williams said, emphasizing the added salary will come out of the department’s 2020-2021 budget.
“Our community has let us know loud and clear they want transparency, accountability and change in our culture in policing,” Williams said. “For that to happen, we need quality people in place to carry out the vision I have in order to go from good to great. I need the right people on the bus in the right seat. Experienced executive leadership is essential to creating a high performance team.”
Williams said he needs a highlevel assistant “to manage day-today internal activities” while he is in the community building relationships.
“I don’t walk on water. I’m not a miracle worker,” Williams said. “I understand leadership is not a singular activity. It’s a team. I need members of the executive team to carry out the reforms and implementations and organize change our city deserves and expects. An assistant police chief will help me make the improvements needed.”
Williams, appearing in the Zoom council meeting, argued that he often receives push-back from VPOA members, including his three captains.
As expected, adding an assistant police chief is opposed by the VPOA.
“We don’t understand the need for more top level management,” said VPOA president Lt. Michael Nichelini.
With 105 uniformed officers — that peaked at 178 — “this city needs more cops on the street to combat the uptick in violence and crime,” Nichelini added.
“There are two things cops hate — resistance and change,” Williams said. “There’s been quite a lot of opposition (from the officers) to this position.”
Still, the chief is adamant about the need for help.
“It’s very important I have someone on the executive team that shares my vision, the mission, the values,” Williams said. “It’s challenging when someone goes against the direction that the (VPOA) has. To bring about some of those changes has been difficult.”
The OIR group, a police oversight company, reviewed the VPD in June and issued a 70-page assessment of problems with the department, including: A male-dominated force that does not reflect the city’s diverse racial demographics, a department that uses force regularly, and a tendency to justify heavyhanded tactics without considering whether it was the best response.
Williams believes an assistant police chief would help implement the 45 suggestions by the OIR in alleviating assessed problems.
Acknowledging that the OIR report was a comprehensive look at the department’s policies and procedures, “nowhere in that report did it call for someone to supervise police captains,” Nichelini said.
Sampayan supported the chief, telling him that “you’re the boss. You need to tell people how it’s to be done, what changes we’re going to make whether it’s liked or not liked. When I hear the amount of resistance you’re receiving because it becomes a union issue, our residents are not going to stand for that. It’s the VPOA taking charge of the department when you’re the boss and that is absolutely wrong. I understand the ire of the community when they say the VPOA is running amok.”
McConnell questioned the expenditure, the need, and why he and the rest of the council weren’t provided a job description of the proposed assistant. He also suggested perhaps an interim assistant chief be named.
“Chances are, it won’t be interim,” Sampayan said. “If you want the program to have credibility, you have to have a full-time, permanent position.”
“I’m not able to support the recommendation as it exists,” McConnell said, believing an assistant police chief position “requires a buy-in from the community and that it is clearly defined of how this position is going to work.”
Councilmember Rozzana Verder Aliga praised the chief for “working 16 hours a day pretty much 24/7,” though after listening to the assistant police chief job description, she said “you want a sworn officer, a manager, a social worker, a therapist all at the same time. I’m hoping there is someone out there that would fit this description.”
Councilmember Hakeem Brown supported Williams, saying he “stepped into a tough situation; you inherited a mess” when he became chief seven months ago.
Brown approved of an assistant police chief, adding he “really wants to see the person well-versed in addressing systemic racism, prevention, intervention, youth facilities and youth programs.”
City Manager Greg Nyhoff endorsed the assistant police chief position, believing the job “is essential for the chief to see success.”
Sampayan said it would “probably cost” between $15,000 and $20,000 for a national search for an assistant police chief.
“It’s ‘mission critical’ for our department for us to create lasting change,” Williams said. “And that requires structural change.”