What:
Installation Ceremony for Chief Dan Watson, South Pasadena's New Chief of Police

When:
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
6:00 p.m.

Where:
South Pasadena Library, Community Room 1115 El Centro, South Pasadena

South Pasadena: Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks will be attending the Installation Ceremony for Chief Dan Watson, the new Chief of Police of South Pasadena Police Department.

Chief Watson is a former Commander with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Chief Watson was hired as a police officer, with the LAPD, in 1973 and 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. Chief Watson followed in the footsteps of his grandfather who retired from the LAPD in 1931.

Los Angeles Chief of Police Bernard C. Parks touted Chief 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 4 1/2 years, and have been appointed to Chiefs of Police and other high ranking public safety positions in other cities:

• 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

• Deputy Chief Art Lopez – Chief of Police, Oxnard, CA

• Deputy Chief Rick Dinse – Chief of Police, Salt Lake City, Utah

• Commander Garrett Zimmon -- Chief of Police San Bernadino, 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

• Commander Bruce Hagerty – Chief of Police, Ridgecrest, CA

• Commander Dan Schatz – Chief of Police, Prescott Valley, AZ

• Lieutenant Michael Brooks - Chief of Police, Banning Police Department

• Lieutenant Anthony Alba - Chief of Police, Compton Unified School District Police

• Lieutenant Winthrop Taylor-Chief of Police, Prosser, WA

Chief Parks added, "I think these selections from the ranks 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.