EPD names acting chief during search for interim
On Dec. 1, 22-year veteran cop Capt. Brian Stephens will be the Eureka Police Department’s acting chief until the department finds an interim chief to hold the position.
The department expects to appoint an interim chief within the next 30 days at most, and the search for a more permanent chief could take about six months, according to Miles Slattery, Eureka’s city manager.
“I look forward to this opportunity to maintain the continuity of leadership within the department and will continue placing the members of our department and residents of our city first,” Stephens said in a news release.
The city has narrowed down the pool of interim chief candidates to three people, and they are currently undergoing a prescreening process.
“We were hoping that that pre-screening process would have been completed prior to the chief leaving. Unfortunately, it’s taken longer than that. So right now we’re putting in an acting chief. So that process can be completed,” Slattery said.
The search for a new chief came after the current chief, Steve Watson, announced in October he would retire at the end of November. Watson has been with the EPD since 2005 and was appointed chief of police in 2017.
The candidates for interim chief are not from the EPD, but Slattery said the city will encourage local officers to apply for the job, though a final candidate does not have to be from the department.
Stephens’ seniority and departmental respect made him a good choice to be acting chief, according to Slattey.
“He’s not a young buck, he’s been with the department forever. He’s very well respected by his staff, he has done a great job for us working his way up through the ranks and continuing, and I’m sure he will do the same as the acting chief as well,” Slattery said.
Progressive policing styles will be a key attribute the city searches for in a new chief, according to Slattery. Finding candidates interested in shifting the police department to focus more on social services than punitive policing will be an essential part of the search, he added.
“Today marks not only my last day as Eureka’s chief of police but also the culmination of a near quarter-century law enforcement career. Serving as your chief over the past four-plus years has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and as I tender my retirement, I also tender my gratitude. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have served, led, and partnered with you,” Watson said in a statement on Facebook.
“It’s been an honor and privilege, Eureka. Thank you.”
Stephens was not available Tuesday to speak with the Times Standard, a spokesperson for the department said.