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Police Chief Sanchez Sworn in at City Hall Ceremony

Published on Monday, July 12, 2010 | 5:33 pm
 

Pasadena’s incoming police chief Phil Sanchez was sworn in Monday night in the courtyard at Pasadena City Hall before a crowd of law enforcement, city officials and community members.

Sanchez, 53, succeeds Bernard Melekian, who retired last November. Like Melekian, Sanchez formerly served with the Santa Monica Police Department, where he was the deputy chief of police.

“Phil Sanchez has a strong background in police management and a reputation as a leader who is sensitive to community issues,” Pasadena City Manager Michael J. Beck said last month when announcing Sanchez’s selection. “I am confident he will be well-received in the Pasadena community and the Pasadena Police Department.”

Sanchez says he intends to begin working right away with Pasadena Police Department personnel while becoming actively involved in the community.

“I have deep respect for the men and women of the Pasadena Police Department, which has a tremendous reputation in the world of law enforcement,” said Sanchez. “I also am a strong proponent of community collaboration and integration. A police department or police chief cannot improve public safety alone; it requires an entire community working together.”

Twice, Sanchez has received the Santa Monica Police Department’s Medal of Courage for heroic actions during tactical operations. He served as the incident commander for several critical incidents, including a hostage situation at the Santa Monica Pier in 2004. He also is the recipient of the department’s Medal of Merit for development of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). He has been honored as Officer of the Year by the Rotary Club of Santa Monica and the Optimist Club of Santa Monica.

Sanchez is among the founders of Santa Monica ’s Chronic Homeless Project, a collaborative program of police, the Santa Monica Community and Cultural Services Department and social service agencies that work strategically to improve care and referral services for homeless persons. He helped develop Santa Monica ’s Serial Inebriate Outreach Program that, as an alternative to incarceration, provides counseling services to homeless persons who have alcohol and drug dependency issues.

Sanchez was also instrumental in developing the Community Forum on Gang Violence, a series of workshops in Santa Monica that provided an opportunity for residents and other stakeholders to work collaboratively to reduce youth violence, increase communication and improve relationships between law enforcement and the community.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Redlands and his master’s degree in security studies from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, where he graduated with honors and received the Curtis H. “Butch” Straub Award for exemplary academics and leadership. He also is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI National Academy , and the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Command College for Executive Leadership, where he received the Hank E. Koehn Award for excellence in leadership.

Sanchez is a proponent of education. For the past 10 years he has taught at the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy as an adjunct instructor and frequently lectures at local schools, colleges and universities on a variety of topics including civil rights and the law, homeland security and mass casualty response. He recently was selected to serve on an advisory commission that is exploring the development of a course in homeland security for Santa Monica Community College.

As a youth he was an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable with the Boy Scouts of America, and participated in the 1974 Rose Parade carrying a banner that announced the float honored with the Queen’s Trophy. He remains active in Boy Scouts and has presented the Eagle Scout Award to many young men.

Sanchez and his wife Deborah live in Orange County and have four adult children and three grandchildren. He is an avid bicyclist.

He is a member of the California Police Chiefs Association, for which he recently completed service as a board member, the Police Executive Research Forum and the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, for which he formerly served as a vice president. He serves on the advisory board of the Santa Monica Family YMCA and has served on the boards of Meals on Wheels West and the American Red Cross Santa Monica Chapter.

The search for Pasadena ’s next police chief began in 2009. Residents and others have had opportunities to provide their opinions during a series of community meetings and on an interactive website (www.cityofpasadena.net/citymanager/policechief). There also have been two advisory committees appointed by the city manager.

The Pasadena Police Department has a $61 million budget, 262 sworn officers and 144 civilian employees.

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