New Chief Puts Emphasis on Community

Huntington Beach’s designated police chief said Friday that he wants his department to establish strong ties with the city’s various neighborhoods.

“I like to spend a lot of time out of my office working with the community,” said Kenneth W. Small, who is leaving his post as chief of the Daytona Beach, Fla., police department. “I think that’s what public service is all about.”

Small, chosen from a field of 50 candidates, will replace Chief Ron Lowenberg, who is retiring after 13 years.

Relations between Huntington Beach police and residents in some heavily Latino neighborhoods were strained two years ago when an officer shot a teenager who was holding a toy gun. The incident prompted demonstrations at City Hall. Police officers also have been criticized for what some consider heavy-handed treatment of July Fourth revelers near the beach.

Still, the department remains popular with many residents, and officials have instituted several community-policing programs and created neighborhood substations.

Mayor Debbie Cook said, “Everybody [on the council] is pretty excited about him. I think his style is going to fit in very well in Huntington Beach.”

Small has won praise from community groups in Daytona Beach despite some contentious issues. African American leaders sued the police department over what it consider racial profiling by officers. But the head of the local NAACP chapter was quoted in the Daytona Beach News-Journal as praising Small for opening lines of communication with the African American community.

Small, 54, will be returning to his home state to head a department with 374 employees and a budget of $40 million.

Considered a very hands-on manager, Small said: “I don’t consider myself that special. I consider myself someone who is fortunate enough to have a lot of good people working for me.”

Before Daytona Beach, Small worked for the Los Angeles Police Department for 25 years.

Small and his wife, Susan, have been married 35 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley.

Small will receive a salary of $141,000 plus benefits. He will start Oct. 14, pending a vote by the City Council on Sept. 3.