appear to be Captain Bob Benton, newly named Captains Craig Carter and Mike Loarie. All are good men . . . some would say great men.
Commentary
Where, Oh where, is our Chief?
That’s the question many residents of Escondido are asking. Former Chief of Police Jim Maher has resigned, Interim Chief of Police, Cory Moles, has announced his retirement . . . and the Escondido Police Department is without a Chief of Police. This is an important position and one that City Manager Clay Phillips has to weigh heavily.
Odds are strongly in favor of hiring from within the department. Chief candidates
It would appear Captain Bob Benton has the inside track, however, he will be eligible for retirement in three years. If appointed Chief, would he stick around? It’d be nice to have a Chief for eight to ten years. Stability, a building of a strong chain of command, grooming successor officers to take the top positions, an opportunity to plug in programs and execute them and nurse them along until they bear fruit . . . all important elements of being a Chief. Benton has been a Captain for almost three years.
Captains Carter and Loarie have only been recently promoted from Lieutenants to Captains. Is it likely to go from Lieutenant to Captain to Chief in the space of about three years? Not normally, but one must remember that the competition for the Captain’s slot was very, very
close between thenLieutenants Bob Benton and Craig Carter. Benton got the nod but it was a razor thin decision. Both officers are close friends and Carter applauded the decision even though it must have hurt to not get the golden ring at that time.
Both Carter and Loarie have a few years before they are eligible for retirement so, if either of them were named, chances are they’d stick around for a few years. In talking with veteran officers and knowledgeable people, all agree the former Chief Jim Maher did a masterful job, getting more done for the department with fewer resources, than most any Chief in recent history. He reduced the crime rate, he reduced the hit and run incidents, he made our streets safer streets on which to drive, but perhaps most important of all, he groomed some top notch successors. Men who were capable of leadership, who were tutored by Maher, who could step in as Chief right now and the public would be assured we
April 18, 2013 - Page 5
had an outstanding Chief.
I, for one, would like to go on record as acknowledging former Chief Jim Maher as an outstanding example of a top executive getting things done.
He paved the way for new officers to move up the chain of command. Any one of the three would be a good choice. We are in a fortunate position. However, the time is rapidly approaching when a decision needs to be made.
This city needs a Chief of Police and sooner, rather than later.
There’s work to be done, officers to retain (we’re losing officers - that needs to be reversed) . . . and policies need to be developed and implemented. We urge Escondido City Manager Clay Phillips to name a new Chief of Police as soon as practical.
That’s our opinion. What’s yours?