And then there were two. Two finalists to become the next chief of police for the city of Bakersfield. Current chief Bill Rector is retiring when he turns 50 in January and two of his highest ranking officers are in line to replace him.
Whether it's Assistant Chief Lyle Martin or Captain Greg Williamson, either man will be dealing with less money in the B.P.D.'s budget and greater demands for service. "We just went through an 18-month period where we had some significant cuts to the department," said Chief Bill Rector. "They were part of the process of creating strategies to deal with those cuts, so it was a great learning experience."
The two finalists for Rector's job share many of the same credentials.
Lyle Martin is 43 years old, with 21 years of experience at the department. He's worked in every division and he holds a masters degree in business administration.
Greg Williamson is 45 years old, with 20 years experience. He too has worked in all divisions at the B.P.D. Williamson holds a masters degree in public administration.
Rector says, "They were both born and raised in Bakersfield, went to local schools. And in an environment where they were raised up through the organization where education, community and community involvement were really stressed and both of these candidates took advantage of that."
The final decision is up to City Manager Alan Tandy, but only after a lengthy evaluation process.
"What are their goals, their perceptions of the critical needs of the department as they're arising and then I'll involve them in another oral interview period," said Tandy.
Tandy says the selection process could take several months. He will announce his decision to the city council in early 2010. "Like Bill Rector, the next chief will assume the task of creating stronger ties with the community, especially in crime-ridden areas where community involvement in solving crimes is never a sure thing," said Tandy.
Curbing gang violence will also be a priority. Ninety percent of the homicides in Bakersfield this year were committed by gang members.
