Rialto seeks team builder
POLICE CHIEF: Starting Thursday, a panel will begin interviewing eight candidates for the job.
10:00 PM PDT on Sunday, July 2, 2006
The selection of a new police chief, who will be responsible for rebuilding Rialto's department, begins Thursday when a seven-member committee meets with top candidates for the position. The interviews come three months after the City Council abandoned plans to disband the department and contract with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. A chief will be selected after committee members interview the eight candidates and a recommendation is made to City Administrator Henry Garcia. The committee is made up of the interim police chief, city administrator, mayor, one City Council member, a police union representative and two members of the public. Those selected to represent residents are a former Rialto mayor and a lieutenant in another department. Eighteen people applied for the chief position, but only eight were invited for an interview, said Eileen Dienzo, human resources manager. Several applicants are from surrounding agencies and some are from out of state, she said. What stood out about the eight chosen was their level of experience, education and certificates, Dienzo said. City Councilman Ed Scott, who will be on the committee, said three residents asked to be on the panel. Ray Farmer, Rialto's mayor from 1998 to 2000, will represent Rialto residents because he has experience and knowledge with the city, Scott said. Jerry Gutirez, a 29-year Rialto resident and lieutenant with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, was selected by the union to represent the city, he said. Garcia is drafting a list of qualities the committee should look for in the new chief, Scott said. "What I personally will be looking for is someone with experience, who believes in building a team with the police department and the rest of the city personnel and citizens," Scott said. The top three candidates recommended by the advisory committee would interview with Garcia then undergo a background and reference check. A pre-employment physical, drug screening and psychological examination also will be done. The new chief must make customer service a high priority, have high ethical standards, adjust positively to setbacks or challenges and understand the department's past issues in order to move forward, says the department's restructuring plan, authored by interim Police Chief Frank Scialdone and Garcia. The Rialto City Council voted 4-1 last November to disband the department and contract with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The decision prompted the Rialto Police Benefit Association to file a series of lawsuits. The battle included an attempt to let the Rialto voters decide if the department should be disbanded. In March, the City Council ended its attempt to disband the department and began negotiating with the police union and drafted the department's restructuring plan. The interview process for the eight candidates will be c
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