Santa Monica Police Department Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks congratulates Santa Monica Police Officer Jason Olson for receiving the California Office of Traffic Safety Excellence Award at the Public Safety Facility on August 15, 2012. Officer Olson’s work has served the Santa Monica community well, helping to lower alcohol involved deaths and injuries, training department personnel on driving under the influence detection, serving as a traffic collision investigator as well as using his expertise as a Drug Recognition Expert for identifying individuals driving under the influence of narcotics.  His efforts are why the Office of Traffic Safety is honoring him.   Earlier this year Officer Olson was recognized by the Los Angeles Chapter of MADD for his efforts in arrests of individuals driving while impaired.  In 2011 Officer Olson arrested 60 individuals that were driving while impaired.

California’s law enforcement community must set ambitious goals for traffic safety enforcement and education.  Police department officials have unprecedented responsibilities to prevent traffic fatalities which now occur at the rate of one every two hours, to reduce the number of serious injuries resulting from traffic collisions, and to positively impact the spiraling emergency services and health care costs.  

Kids from the Police Activities League (PAL) play on the Harbor Patrol Zodiac during the 29th Anniversary of National Night Out at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium parking lot on Tuesday, August 7, 2012.

Night Out involves 37 million people in 15,110 communities from all 50 states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide. The goal of the Santa Monica Police Department is to build upon the good relationship our police and community share along with celebrating that partnership which makes the city of Santa Monica such a safe place to live, work, and visit. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts and strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships

(TOP) Santa Monica Fire Department firefighters breathing oxygen and wearing full turnout gear walk laps during the 10th annual American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Santa Monica College's Corsair Field on Saturday June 2, 2012. Teams walk for 24 hours around Corsair Field to fight cancer, increase awareness of the disease and raise much-needed funds to support the services of the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is an international event. (CENTER) Santa Monica Police Department Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks (center) leads walkers during the 10th annual American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Santa Monica College's Corsair Field. (ABOVE) Cancer survivors kicked-off the 10th annual American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Santa Monica College's Corsair Field on Saturday June 2, 2012.

Former Inglewood Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks swears in as the new Santa Monica Police Department Chief at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Seabrooks is the first female and 16th Chief of the Santa Monica Police Department.

Seabrooks, a 25-year veteran of the Santa Monica Police Department and Inglewood Chief for the past four and one-half years, was chosen after a three month, nationwide search.  

With extensive experience in both field operations and administration, Seabrooks has covered the spectrum of public safety posts from traffic safety to tactical commander, information technology to department collaboration with community partners. She has a strong track record in leadership, fiscal management and skill training initiatives.

“I am delighted to announce that Chief Seabrooks will return to Santa Monica to complete her remarkable career in law enforcement,” said Rod Gould. “Twenty five years in the Santa Monica Police Department, rising from Police Officer to Captain and holding numerous specialty assignments in between, have prepared her well to lead this department. Jacqueline Seabrooks’ four and one-half years as Chief of Police in Inglewood have tested her and proven her metal. While at Inglewood, she has provided great service to that community in stabilizing and improving law enforcement services, despite tremendous external scrutiny and budgetary pressures.”

“Chief Seabrooks distinguished herself in the selection process. I believe that she is the right person to lead the department in this second decade of the new Century and to make an already high performing Police Department even stronger. Chief Seabrooks has deep ties to the community and members of the organization and will be very active and highly engaged with both. Her integrity, leadership and judgment have been validated consistently over her nearly 30 years in law enforcement. We are fortunate that she will return to do her best work yet in Santa Monica.”

The City went to great lengths to seek top candidates for the Chief of Police from throughout the nation. The candidate pool was deep in executive level experience in some of the premier law enforcement agencies in the United States. To ensure that the process was as objective and comprehensive as possible, Santa Monica engaged the services of the International City County Management Association (ICMA) and International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) to advise on the recruitment. This included conducting 35 interviews with members of the Police Department and the community to develop a profile of the Santa Monica Police Department and the desired traits and characteristics for the next Chief. It included development of a tool to screen the initial paper applications and phone interviews down to the 5 candidates who undertook a full day Assessment Center on March 27. The Assessment Center involved 6 exercises designed to replicate day to day challenges for the Police Chief in Santa Monica. The exercises were scored by specially trained raters from the community and organization. At the conclusion of the Assessment Center, the 2 top performers underwent additional interviews with the City Manager, City Attorney, and key staff.

“I am equally honored, humbled, and excited to accept this offer to work in the Santa Monica community as its next Chief of Police,” said Seabrooks. “I am particularly happy to be joining a community that is so involved and leading a Police Department with great achievements in public safety. ”

Seabrooks succeeds retired Police Chief Timothy J. Jackman.

As Chief of Police, Seabrooks will receive a salary of $238,752. She will manage a department with a budget of over $70 million and 443 employees, including 215 sworn spread across the divisions of Administration, Operations, Special Enforcement and Criminal Enforcement.

Seabrooks has a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She is a member of several professional associations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and she serves as a board member of the California Police Chief’s Association.

Santa Monica Police officers fire-off a twenty-one-gun salute at during  the Police/Fire Public Safety Memorial on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The memorial recognized public safety officers who gave their lives in the line of duty to protect the citizens of Santa Monica.

Police Basic Bicycle Patrol Training - Images by Fabian Lewkowicz

Santa Monica Police Officers, along with officers from Long Beach, Anaheim, LAX, Santa Barbra and Gardena, take part in the 4 day Basic Bicycle Patrol training course at Santa Monica Fire Training Academy on Thursday, May 10, 2012. 

Santa Monica Police Officer Shaun Dove follows Training Officer Rob Dawson through a cone pattern coarse at Santa Monica Beach on Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Officer  Dove is practicing for an upcoming motorcycle training school.