5 IN RUNNING FOR POLICE CHIEF JOB

Oceanside officials won’t identify finalists, members of community interviewing panel

Five finalists have been selected to interview for the position of Oceanside police chief and one of them could be appointed by the end of March, according to an update from City Manager Deanna Lorson.

Lorson initially considered promoting someone from within the Police Department to fill the position quickly after former Police Chief Frank Mccoy announced his retirement last July.

However, representatives of minority groups in the community asked for a more widespread recruitment to find somebody who would better reflect the city’s diversity. Lorson then slowed the process, surveyed the community’s thoughts on law enforcement, and hired an outside recruiter to conduct the search.

Mccoy retired Dec. 28 after serving since January 2006 and was the longest-serving police chief in Oceanside history. Capt. Manuel “Fred” Armijo was appointed to the interim chief position on Dec. 21. An Oceanside native and a member of the department since 1994, Armijo rose through the ranks as a sergeant and then lieutenant.

The finalists for the permanent position will be interviewed by a panel of professionals, including police chiefs and city managers from other jurisdictions, a panel of city department directors who work closely with the Police Department, and a community panel with representatives of business and minority groups, the faith community, schools and city commissions.

“In order to preserve the confidentiality of the candidates and the impartiality of the panelists, the names of

candidates will not be disclosed publicly, and the names of panelists will not be disclosed until a police chief is selected,” states a written update from Lorson.

The panelists include two members from the city’s boards and commissions, two from the faith community, four business representatives, one school board trustee and six representatives of community and advocacy groups, including the NAACP, North County LGBTQ Resource Center, Save Our Streets, Eastside Neighborhood Association, Resilience Community Mentoring Program and the Filipino-american Cultural Association of North County.

The community panels include nine males and six females. Five of the members are White, four are Black, four Latino and two Asian/pacific Islanders, Lorson said in the update.

Each of the interview panels will share the result of its evaluations with Lorson, who will consider their input along with other application materials and personal interviews before making the appointment.

A total of 18 applications were submitted before the Jan. 22 deadline, states an earlier update on the city’s website. Only one of the applications was from an internal candidate.

All of the applicants were initially screened by the city’s executive recruiter, Joel Bryden of the firm Bob Murray and Associates, who then interviewed the most qualified candidates.

“The city manager will be seeking a chief who has demonstrated a strong understanding of community relationships, knowledge of and the value of the city’s diversity, and someone who can build on OPD’S track record, while also providing a fresh look to ensure that OPD is continually improving practices and providing outstanding service to the community,” states the city’s Dec. 21 announcement of Armijo’s appointment.