Special Meetings Scheduled for NACs

San Jose’s next police chief should be familiar with a diverse population, be able to work with immigrant communities, communicate well with residents as well as police officers, run a transparent department, be accessible to the community and have a good track record of fighting crime.

Those are just a few of the desirable qualities and skills offered by residents gathered at Roosevelt Community Center on Tuesday, August 24, to tell City officials what they would like to see in the new police chief.

The search for San Jose’s new police chief took off at the grass-roots level this week with two of five public meetings on a “listening tour” to determine what qualities residents want to see in the person who will lead a police department of 1,700.

Input from the meetings as well as from employees and other stakeholders (community groups, non-profit organizations) will “create a 360-degree view of what we’re expecting of our next chief,” City Manager Deb Figone said at the meeting.

That information will be used to form questions during interviews with the police chief candidates, she said.

The few dozen residents gathered at Roosevelt were assigned to answer five questions intended to draw responses that will be compiled into categories and posted online within three days of the meeting.

• What are the most important issues you would like to see the new police chief address?
• What experience and track record should the new police chief have?
• What are the most important skills and characteristics the new Police Chief should have?
• Is there anything else you would like the City to consider when selecting the new police chief?
• What are you willing to do or contribute to ensure the success of the new police chief?

Those who can’t get to a meeting can email Teri Black-Brann, the professional recruiter hired by the city to help fill the job.

San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis announced in July that he would retire at the end of October. David has been with the department for 30 years, and six as chief.

The next public meetings are on:

• Monday, September 20,  6:30-8 p.m. at  Oakgrove School District Offices, Board Room, 6578 Santa Teresa Boulevard.
•  Monday, October 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Mexican Heritage Plaza Pavilion, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue.

Meetings for Strong Neighborhoods NACs:

• Monday, September 27, 6:30 to 8 p.m., West Evergreen Neighborhood Action Coalition, O.B. Whaley Elementary School, 2655 Alvin Avenue.
• Saturday, October 2,  10 a.m. to noon, Mayfair Community Center, District 5 Neighborhood’s Commission Caucus Kammerer Avenue.
• Thursday, October 7 , 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tully/Senter Neighborhood Action Coalition, Paseo Senter, 1908 Senter Road.
• Thursday, October 7,  6:30 t0 8 p.m.,   Blackford Neighborhood Action Coalition, West San Jose Community Center, 3707 Williams Avenue.
• Tuesday, October 12, 6:30 to 8 p.m.,   University Neighborhood Coalition, Lowell Elementary School, 625 South 7th Street.
• Wednesday, October 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m.,  McKinley Bonita Neighborhood Association, McKinley Neighborhood Center/School Cafeteria , 651 Macredes Avenue ( Meeting to be held in Spanish.)
• Thursday, October 14,  6:30 to 8 p.m., Edenvale/Great Oaks Plan Implementation Coalition (EGOPIC), Edenvale Community Center, 330 Branham Lane East.
• Wednesday, October 20,  6 to 7 p.m. ,Winchester Neighborhood Action Coalition, Pueblo De Dios Church, 3257 Payne Avenue.