After conducting a search far and wide, the city manager announced last week one of Pacifica’s own will serve as the next police chief.
Dan Steidle has been serving as interim chief for the last seven months. He spent 22 years working his way through the ranks of the Pacifica police department.
“All the finalists had the experience and capabilities to be the next police chief, but Dan has something extra — a true passion for Pacifica that set him apart,” City Manager Lorie Tinfow said.
He is the 10th police chief to serve since the inception of the police department in 1959.
“This is great news for Pacifica,” said Mayor Karen Ervin. “We are in good hands with Chief Steidle leading our police department.”
The Tribune asked Steidle to answer questions by email on the occasion of his promotion to chief of police.
How have the last months as interim chief prepared you for the appointment?
The seven months I served as interim police chief was a great opportunity for me to demonstrate that I have the ability to serve as the chief of the police department. It also provided an opportunity for me to strengthen my relationships with other department heads in the city, as well as with the community. It’s not common for a police chief candidate to have seven months to display his or her skills prior to an appointment being made. I consider myself very fortunate to have had that opportunity.
What was the most challenging part?
The most challenging part of serving as interim police chief was striving to be productive, while at the same time recognizing that it is not the interim chief’s place to be making changes or implementing new programs. These types of changes are reserved for the permanent chief.
Do you want to make any changes to the police department or keep the same course of priorities the same?
The priorities of the police department remain the same. We are committed to working to reduce and prevent crime, reduce the number of injury and fatal traffic collisions, and assist the community with maintaining an excellent quality of life.
How could Pacifica improve to be as safe as it can be? What programs do you see implementing to keep Pacifica safe?
We recognize that while the members of the Pacifica Police Department work hard to keep the community safe, it is only with a strong collaboration with the community that we can be most successful. We are looking into ways to better communicate and engage the community so that we can work with the community in a true partnership to reach our goals.
Anything else you want readers to know?
The members of the Pacifica Police Department are a hard working group of law enforcement professionals, dedicated in their service to Pacifica. It is my honor to serve as their chief.
Jane Northrop can be reached at jnorthrop@bayareanewsgroup.com
