The new Santa Monica Chief of Police is Timothy Jackman, a 23-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department, where he has been one of three Deputy Chiefs in that department since January 2003. He will take charge in Santa Monica on December 11, 2006.
City Manager P. Lamont Ewell announced the selection November 8, saying, “I am impressed with Mr. Jackman’s balanced background and leadership ability, as well as his strong commitment to working with and including the community in decision making. He has a demonstrated practice of collaboration and being a strong contributor to citywide team efforts.”
Since March of this year, the 47-year-old Jackman has been the senior Deputy Chief in charge of the Investigations Bureau in Long Beach, second in command to the Chief of Police; he has been responsible for three Divisions in that position – Detectives, Youth Services and Gangs and Violent Crimes. From January 2003 to March 2006, his Deputy Chief responsibilities were for the Support Bureau, which included the three Divisions of Training, Communications and Jail and Food Services.
“With extensive experience in both field operations and administration, Jackman has covered the spectrum of public safety posts from community relations to internal affairs, information technology to terrorism prevention,” said the press release issue by the Santa Monica City Manager’s office. “He has a strong track record in youth services and youth violence prevention, successfully working with the Long Beach Unified School District to pilot new initiatives.”
Jackman was one of seven finalists in what Santa Monica called “a two-month, nationwide search”; the finalists were interviewed by a panel of residents, business representatives, clergy and school officials during October. Ewell said, “This was one of the most difficult selections I’ve had to make because of the outstanding qualifications and talent of our internal candidates.”
The Long Beach Police Department has 1,500 employees and a $173 million budget, as compared to the Santa Monica department of 468 employees and a budget of nearly $60 million. As of the 2000 census, Long Beach was the fifth-largest city in California with a population of 461,522, and Santa Monica was at 84,084; more current estimates place Long Beach at 490,166 and Santa Monica at 103,255.
Jackman said, “I am thrilled to be coming to Santa Monica. It is a great city with a fantastic Police Department that has an outstanding reputation both professionally and in the community. I am particularly happy to be coming to a community that is so involved.” He has a B.S. from the University of the State of New York in Albany and an M.B.A. from the University of California at Irvine.