The city announced today its plans to begin the recruitment process for the Long Beach Police Department’s new chief of police position, following Police Chief Robert G. Luna’s announcement last month he would retire from the position at the end of the year.

City Manager Tom Modica said the city will seek well-qualified candidates inside and out of the department. Eligibility includes all current and former LBPD personnel holding the rank of commander and above as well as chiefs and assistant/deputy chiefs from other jurisdictions, with a strong preference for those who have experience working in California.

Candidates will undergo a multi-step screening and interview process with Human Resources, a community panel, a technical panel and city department directors, with the ultimate selection being made by the City Manager. The recruitment process is expected to be finalized by December with a new police chief announced prior to the beginning of the new year.

The city has supplied a job brochure, which you can see here, with more details.

“I’m looking forward to selecting a new Chief who will take our Police Department to the next level, meeting the public safety needs of our diverse community and embracing transparency, modern policing and community partnership,” Modica said in a statement. “We have a strong internal talent pool, and as a major California city, I’m sure we will get interest from leaders with major credentials from across the State and Country.”

Modica said the city wants to hear from the community to share their thoughts about what they want to see in their next police chief, and beginning the week of Oct. 11 will offer a survey available online or as a hard-copy format at Long Beach Public Library branches.  Further details will be announced upon the launch, the city said.

When his retirement is final, Luna will have served for seven years as the department’s 26th police chief and is the first Latino to hold the position in the department’s history.

Police Chief Robert Luna to retire at end of year