Next police chief could be a woman

Deepa Bharath

The city’s next police chief could be a woman.

Four out of 37 candidates who applied for retiring Chief Dave

Snowden’s job were women, and “that’s a record for Costa Mesa,” City

Manager Allan Roeder said.

“Sixteen years ago, when we hired Chief Snowden, there were no

female applicants,” he said. “This time, we had four and I’m really

pleased about that. I feel it’s a positive trend.” Roeder said he

expects to name a new chief by mid-April.

The field has been narrowed to five candidates. Roeder wouldn’t

disclose the identities or the genders of the five.

If he picks one of those applicants, she will be the first woman

ever to permanently head a city police department in Southern

California, said Penny Harrington, founding director of L.A.-based

National Center for Women and Policing.

Harrington holds the distinction of being the first female chief

of police in a major city. She was appointed to the position in

Portland, Ore., in 1985.

“The only chief in Southern California we know of was Roberta

Reddick, who was briefly acting or interim police chief of Compton,”

she said.

Reddick declined to accept the position permanently and retired

several years ago, Harrington said. San Diego has also seen females

as assistant police chiefs and high-ranking officers, but never as

chief.

Orange County has not had a female chief except at small

university police departments, including UC Irvine, which Kathy

Hooven led until she retired last year.

“Orange County has a reputation for being fairly conservative,”

Harrington said. “There is still a bias here against women in

policing and it’s probably seen as a macho man job.”

From personal experience and talking with several female chiefs

around the nation, Harrington says she knows that women in high

positions draw “way more attention than men.”

“I had the press living with me for the year and a half that I was

chief,” she said.

More than so-called “attitude problems” from male subordinates,

women struggle with internal politics, “people doing whatever they

can to get your job,” and the pressure of having to be super chief,

Harrington said.

“Women police chiefs are usually held under a higher level of

scrutiny,” she said. “They definitely have to work harder to prove

themselves fit for the position.”

Roeder said he believes “Costa Mesa is ready” for a woman at the

head of the Police Department.

“I very much believe this is a community that will support anyone

who is concerned about them and earns their respect,” he said. “The

people of Costa Mesa will support anyone of any race, color, gender

or age as long as they do a good job.”

Councilman Gary Monahan agreed with the city manager.

“I’m only interested in the best person for the job,” he said. “I

don’t care if it’s a man, woman or Martian.”

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

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