New Police Chief Welcome News for Rialto (SB Sun 07222006) Our View: New Leadership promise to strengthen a department seeking to rebuild itself

I am praying and praying that Mark Kling is the man that will bring a sence of Team back to the Police Department, this is the one thing that really has been missing since the Chief Farmer had left. Chief Farmer was in a position that he was running the city in some ways, and the people in city hall didn't like it so they took him out, and really disrupted the city, so the last few years of what Ed Scott Calls Corruption, is the fault of none other then City Halls, and the Administrator, and City Council.

It is much to bad that they had fought so hard to get Chief Farmer out, and then they had Lewis, he would have been okay, but he was so torn to do a good job that City Hall grabbed him by his lower portions and held on and lead the department by those ever since. Didn't matter who was in the Chief's Office. Now we have Chief Mark Kling and we will see if Kling is the man that can stand up to the mighty Garcia, and say no when it needs to be said!

I am still puzzled why, he left a very successful position and came to Rialto where it is barly on its feet. His Department in Baldwin Park still needs some building. I know that Rialto has a lot of growing to do and will more then likely be a department of Over 150-200 sworn in the next five years. That might be why he came, because in the next 10 years he has the potential to make about $200.000 to $250.000 when Rialto gets up to a 200 Sworn department!! that might be a reason? I guess we will see.

BSRanch


Moving forward
New police chief welcome news for Rialto
Our view: New leadership promises to strengthen a department seeking to rebuild itself

The appointment of a new police chief for the embattled Rialto Police Department should add much needed stability to a department the city sought to disband until just four months ago.

City Administrator Henry Garcia announced last week that Baldwin Park Police Chief Mark Kling, 48, will be brought in to help rebuild the Rialto department, much like he did with the Baldwin Park police force five years ago.

Kling's experience in revamping a department that some city leaders said at the time should be scrapped in favor of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department closely mirrors the problems suffered by Rialto's PD, which went through five chiefs in six years before the mottled seven-year tenure of Chief Michael Meyers, who stepped down in December after seeming only to fan the flames.

After years of strife and dissension amid charges of racism, sexism, discrimination and corruption dogging the Police Department, the Rialto City Council voted in September to disband it and go with the San Bernardino County sheriff instead only reversing course in March.

In the meantime, the department, under the able-bodied leadership of Interim Chief Frank Scialdone, has fought hard to persevere, and stands to prosper with someone of Kling's caliber at the helm. Moving from captain to chief in 2000, Kling is credited with turning around the 124-officer Baldwin Park department with his zeal for policing. Besides implementing new programs including a full-time gang enforcement team and narcotics squad as well as expanding the traffic detail and upgrading communications and weapons systems, Kling proved himself most successful in boosting morale through strong, accessible leadership. He has been praised for establishing an atmosphere of trust and fairness in Baldwin Park that should translate well in Rialto.

Both Garcia and Kling are intent on changing the culture of the Rialto Police Department, and creating a sense of unity after years of problems that almost led to its demise.

The department already has done a good amount of healing under Scialdone, who has helped reshape it, both physically and emotionally. Rialto police, who have shown a new resolve to fight crime, and not each other, have done an admirable job of facing the increased challenges posed by gang crime and their own dwindling ranks, which have meant copious overtime.

Kling will walk into a department that demands bold, credible leadership, and it is his drive for positive change that will help make the beleaguered department whole again. That is good news not only for Rialto police, but for the greater community as well.