Search continues for a new Costa Mesa police chief

Deepa Bharath

The contest for one of the most important jobs in the city is just

beginning to get interesting.

Friday was the deadline for those vying to be Costa Mesa’s Chief

of Police. As of 3:30 p.m., with about an hour and a half to go, the

city had received 32 applications.

Dave Snowden, who has led the department for 16 years, will retire

June 13. The new chief will likely be on board at least two weeks

before that date to ensure a smooth transition, City Manager Allan

Roeder said.

“We’re hoping to test and interview candidates by the latter part

of March,” he said, noting that several panels will test and

interview the candidates, though he declined to go into details.

“We hope to narrow the field down to two or three exceptional

candidates and go from there,” he said.

SNOWDEN’S ROLE

The city first advertised the job in January. Qualifications call

for a chief who is passionate about community-oriented policing, has

good communication skills and leads with an inclusive management

style. Most of those requirements reflect the qualities Snowden has

demonstrated during his tenure as chief, Roeder said.

Snowden will play a role in the process, but will not be involved

in the actual selection because he expects “a few internal candidates

to apply for the position,” Roeder said.

The city manager, who will ultimately appoint the chief, said the

search will include internal and external candidates. The process

will be confidential, and no details will be revealed until the new

person is selected.

QUALIFICATIONS

Roeder said he has been soliciting suggestions from City Council

members and Snowden to gauge what kind of qualities the new chief

should have.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan said she believes it is “very important

to do a broad search” and keep an open mind.

“If an in-house candidate meets our needs, we should have no

problem hiring from inside,” she said. “But if we have someone from

outside who is a good candidate, we should be open to that, as well.”

Cowan said the ideal candidate will be a good communicator who

goes beyond the traditional approach to policing.

“I think the new person should have an interest in looking at the

broadest spectrum of opportunities to provide a safe community,” she

said.

Snowden, while echoing Cowan’s opinions, said the new chief must

possess good administrative abilities while remaining a compassionate

human being.

“I also believe that a police chief should give staff autonomy to

make their own decisions and not micromanage,” he said.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Roeder said he doesn’t see the community directly getting involved

with the selection process.

“There would be no accountability that way,” he said.

But Roeder said he welcomes written suggestions from community

members about what qualities they would like to see in their new

chief.

The city is not using an executive search firm, but Roeder said he

expects several qualified people to apply.

“The way things are right now, I don’t think we will get too many

applicants,” he said. He added, however, that there will be an

adequate field of qualified candidates to choose from.

“All I really need,” Roeder said, “is one outstanding, exceptional

person.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].