Laguna Beach has permanently appointed Jeff Calvert as the new chief of the Laguna Beach Police Department, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
A 25-year veteran of the Department, Calvert was appointed interim police chief in May to fill a vacancy left by the abrupt departure of former chief Robert Thompson, who had been in the position for less than five months.
“Chief Calvert is highly regarded within the Laguna Beach Police Department and over the last 25 years he has earned the trust and respect of our community,” Mayor Bob Whalen said in a press release. “His decades of experience have taught him not only how to lead but also how to continue to improve the work of our Police Department.”
Calvert began his career as a reserve deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department before being hired as a deputy sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
In 1996, he joined the Laguna Beach Police Department and has worked a variety of assignments including patrol officer, field training officer, special investigations unit detective, sergeant, and lieutenant shift commander. During his time as a captain, Calvert led both the Support/Investigative Services and Field Services divisions, according to a press release.
As a Laguna Beach resident, Calvert said he’s been proud to serve and protect the community he calls home with his wife Amy and their daughter.
“I’m humbled for this opportunity and energized to lead the outstanding members of this department into the future to ensure we deliver unparalleled service to our community through engagement and partnerships, cutting-edge technology, and data-driven policing while providing a safe and healthy environment for them to work in,” Calvert said in a press release.
City Manager Shohreh Dupuis is responsible for selecting and appointing the City’s Police Chief.
Councilmember George Weiss said Dupuis called him Wednesday to say she was considering Calvert for a permanent appointment as police chief. He voiced support for an open recruitment process. Weiss was surprised to receive a city press release shortly after the call announcing Dupuis had already decided.
“This is the second most important position in city government next to the City Manager,” Weiss said. “I didn’t know she had already made [the decision].”
After former police chief Laura Farinella announced she would retire, city management engaged in a months-long, nationwide search for a new chief. Thompson was recruited from the Dixon Police Department but was ultimately invited to return to his former position after his brief stint in Laguna Beach.
The union that represents local officers, dispatchers, and other police employees offered a brief statement on Calvert’s permanent promotion.
“We wish Chief Calvert much success in his appointment as Chief of Police and look forward to working collaboratively in service to our community to ensure all people are safe and secure to live and thrive,” the Laguna Beach Police Employees Association said.
Congratulations to Chief Calvert! Truly the best man for the job! Anyone else not surprised Council member Weiss wasn’t in support of promoting a 25 year department veteran? His true colors are starting to show.
Why? Because he supported an open recruitment process?
What Shohreh did was so deceptive. At the City Council meeting on Tuesday night Calvert was wearing 4 stars in his shirt collar which is the highest rank in a police department meaning the top cop. So as of Tuesday he was the Police Chief, not Acting Police Chief. Anyone care to guess why they waited until after the Council meeting to announce this??? Well, the next Council meeting is Sept. 21. So they avoided any of those annoying comments from the public because well oh shucks, who’s going to remember in a month and a half? Also avoided any comments from other City Council members who wanted an open recruitment. Which wouldn’t have mattered anyway because he was always going to get the position just like Shohreh was always going to become CM despite that sham recruitment. Which begs the question: If he’s so great, why wasn’t he chosen instead of Chief Thompson from the beginning???? So we got second best???? Sadly just another example of the corruption, insider dealing and lack of transparency from our City Management.
I’m with you on this one Charles!
Best PERSON for the job.
We’ve had what, 3 different imported chiefs in about 10 years and they left—-Jeff is part of our community, worked his way up the ladder, deserves the job.
Congrats Jeff, please remain our chief until you decide to retire and hang up that gun and badge.
And I must still be “blonde,” didn’t the LBCC vote unanimously to make Shohreh the CM?
I didn’t read or hear any misgivings from Council members except from those daffy, elitist influencers who mistakenly believe themselves to be in charge.
Don’t like how the CM runs the City?
Then run for Council yourself or work on a candidate’s campaign: Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
And why should Shohreh have to confer with or get any of the Council’s personal approvals?
The CM is the portal or lens through which elected members present and future policies flow.
Those under her hiring/firing purview (staff) are her decisions, her choices.
MM: You associate, you soil and sully, you tie undoubtably via warped logic guilt-by-association (though in this case by appointment) one of Laguna’s finest (Jeff) to ever wear our uniform, with someone you’ve sworn to depose (Shohreh) with allegations of corruption, insider dealing?
So go into media archives or learn protocol: Jeff’s photo has been appearing for many many weeks with INTERIM Chief affixed to his name, and these positions allow the wearing of those 4 stars. Do you read what you write? For many weeks since Thompson bailed, Jeff HAS been our top ranking cop, it was no different when I was in the Marines.
We had “acting COs,” (commanding officers given temporary rank in the field), you obviously have no experience with regimented flowcharts, chain of command.
What specifically are you an expert in besides sniping and snarky ambushing?
Please provide YOUR credentials regarding municipal governance in California.
Gaslight much, Michele?
I’ve got email exchanges between Jeff and I over multiple domestic disputes at several nearby residences in Lower Vic, Officer Jeremiah Kennedy a standout responder. Message exchanges the past month+ or so, ALL of his signatures carried INTERIM. Jeff was very responsive himself, took time asap to assist me.
Hello, Michele, anybody home, anyone decent anyway?
Have you no sense of shame, slurring and denigrating him, the selection of a 25-year career officer, who came up through the ranks of OUR department, willing to put his behind on the line to serve and protect, possibly be injured or lose his life, yes, representing EVERYONE who lives or visits Laguna? Pssst: That means you and yours too.
You or yours ever raise your hands to offer up YOUR lives since you moved here?
First you denigrated former CM Pietig for Shohreh, as she WAS an outsider, now illogically you resent an insider, you borderline defame and libel a honorable man who is also a resident with family in our community!
Yes, Pietig was somewhat dictatorial and IMO had an over-bearing crypto-fascist management style which he learned from Ken Frank. But you’re proposing conspiratorial nonsense, evilness about our police officers, our men and women—many times the thin blue line keeping us safe from harm when things get crazy.
You sent me an email flame awhile back, blaming me for helping Shohreh get the job via a LTE—-which is truly delusional, but that’s what you do, keep setting the bar lower and lower.
What I wrote were questions for our Council: Why not choose a woman, similar to our precedent, ground-breaking Chief Farinella? And no, not as a quota (a gay Chief) but as I put it, as I’ve learned from feminism, maybe the right man for the job is a “wo-man?”
And I specifically suggested that I had reservations about Shohreh, she should have the sobriquet INTERIM, that she only get a 1 year contract, hence next election cycle in 2022 let the newly seated Council decide to make it long term or shop around.
Yet you took me to the woodshed.
What you sound like? Desperately vindictive and paranoid.