Chief of police in Patterson to retire Jan. 3

By Rosalio Ahumada
rahumada@modbee.com

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PATTERSON -- After starting as a patrol officer almost three decades ago and working his way up the ranks of the town's police force, Police Chief Tyrone Spencer plans to retire in January.

The City Council on Tuesday will review a process to recruit and hire a new police chief by September.

Spencer began his law enforcement career in 1981 as an officer for the Patterson Police Department. Patterson's population then was about half its current size of about 20,000 residents, City Councilman Sam Cuellar said.

Since then, Cuellar said, the city limits have expanded, schools have been added and construction has boomed to meet the town's growing needs.

Police responsibilities also have increased, and Spencer has served the city diligently, Cuellar said.

Spencer worked for the Police Department as a detective, sergeant, lieutenant and commander before being appointed chief in 1995.

"I think he has served the city well," Cuellar said. "He's been active in terms of looking out for the city."

In 1998, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department began providing police services for Patterson. The city's Police Department was consolidated into the Sheriff's Department and became Patterson Police Services. Spencer became a sheriff's employee and continued as police chief.

Spencer did not return phone calls Saturday.

In September 2005, the Sheriff's Department made plans to reassign Spencer, who holds the rank of lieutenant with the department. Mark Puthuff, assistant sheriff at the time, told council members the reassignment was not a punishment.

Spencer said then that the reassignment prompted him to submit his resignation. About two months later, the City Council accepted Spencer's request to rescind his resignation.

Spencer plans to retire Jan. 3. He will help train the new police chief, according to a recruitment and hiring process that City Manager Cleve Morris will present to the council Tuesday.

The City Council will decide whether to approve the hiring plan, which includes a series of panels that will interview the candidates.

One panel would consist of representatives from city advisory committees, service groups, schools and the La- tino community.

Only lieutenants with the Sheriff's Department can be candidates, said deputy Royjindar Singh, a sheriff's spokesman.

The new police chief will not only head Patterson Police Services but also the sheriff's West Area Command, which includes Grayson, Westley, Diablo Grande and Crows Landing.

In February, the Sheriff's Department completed its transition to decentralization, which shifted sheriff's officials to four offices around the county.

Sheriff Adam Christianson said a contract city police chief now has greater responsibility and authority. He said the new dual role of chief and area commander is a mix of policing a city and a vast rural area.

The recruitment and hiring process for a contract city police chief is driven by the city manager, the City Council and the mayor, Christianson said.

The final step will be the City Council submitting its choice for the sheriff's approval.

Christianson said two other contract cities have replaced outgoing police chiefs since he took office in 2006. In those cases, Christianson said, he went with the city councils' choices.

"My expectation would be that I would do that again," Christianson said about Patterson's police chief. "My position is that I want the city to be comfortable with the person they choose."

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or 578-2394.