Los Angeles: Once again, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is proud to announce the promotion of one of it's own, Commander Daniel Watson. On Friday, December 28, 2001, Commander Watson was selected to assume the reigns as the next Chief of Police of the City of South Pasadena. Commander Watson’s most recent assignment within the Los Angeles Police Department was as Commanding Officer of the Ombuds Office.

Hired as a police officer in 1973, Watson rose through the ranks to his last assignment as the Department Ombuds Officer, where he designed and oversaw an innovative approach to managing personnel conflicts; using alternative dispute resolution techniques, including mediation. Commander Watson followed in the footsteps of his grandfather who retired from the LAPD in 1931.

Los Angeles Chief of Police Bernard C. Parks touted Commander Watson as "[T]he perennial law enforcement professional whose actions have always been in the best interest of the organization. He undoubtedly revolutionized the position of the Department's Ombuds Officer in a manner that was beneficial to the organization as a whole." Chief Parks noted, "Daniel [Watson] is now a part of the coveted cadre of LAPD command staff officers who, over the last four years, have been appointed as Chiefs of Police or to other high ranking positions in other communities."

Following, is a list of Department personnel who have left the Department, over the last four years, to become Chiefs of Police in other cities:

• Commander Garrett Zimmon -- Chief of Police San Bernadino, CA
• Deputy Chief Art Lopez – Chief of Police, Oxnard, CA
• Captain Richard Gonzalez – Chief of Police, Corona, CA
• Commander Richard Legarra – Chief of Police, Baldwin Park, CA
• Commander Allan Kerstein – Chief of Police, West Valley, Utah
• Deputy Chief Rick Dinse – Chief of Police, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Commander Bruce Hagerty – Chief of Police, Ridgecrest, CA
• Commander Dan Schatz – Chief of Police, Prescott Valley, AZ
• Deputy Chief Carlo Cudio – Chief of Police, City of Monterey, CA
• Deputy Chief Greg Berg – Director of Public Safety, Cerritos, CA
• Deputy Chief Ron Banks – Chief of Police, Inglewood, CA
• Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker – Chief of Police, Portland Oregon

Chief Parks added, "I think these selections from the command staff of the LAPD are indicative of the high level of integrity and community commitment by our personnel. These selections are a reflection of the professionalism and integrity exuded by members of the LAPD, and the high regard that other communities have for Los Angeles Police personnel, and the Department as a whole."

This press release was prepared by Lieutenant Horace Frank, Officer-in-Charge, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.