Black Civilian Named Police Personnel Chief

Culminating an extensive nationwide search for its first black administrator, the San Diego Police Department on Friday named Leroy T. Brady as director of police personnel services.

Brady, 39, who grew up in Southeast San Diego, will be directly in charge of hiring, training and firing police officers. He is a management consultant and motivational speaker who has his own firm, the 2-year-old Personal Success Inc., and has published a book called “Power of Successful Thinking.” Brady also was personnel manager for ITT Defense Communications Division from 1984-86 and worked for NCR Corp. from 1980-84 in various personnel management jobs.

“He is a true professional with an outstanding track record in human resource management,” Police Chief Bill Kolender said Friday at a press conference. “After a seven-step screening process of 55 applicants, he clearly emerged as the best-qualified candidate. . . . I am impressed with his drive and determination, his personality and professionalism.”

Controversial Post

The new position of personnel services director--created earlier this year to more effectively manage the growing number of complaints and grievances generated by the department’s 2,300 employees--became controversial several weeks ago when police officials said they were searching for a black civilian. That announcement, intended to publicize police efforts to recruit the first black administrator, raised questions about whether the department was aggressively searching for the most qualified applicant regardless of race. Leaders of the San Diego Police Officers Assn. also criticized the plan to hire a civilian, saying the position should be filled by a qualified captain.

There are no black captains, commanders or deputy chiefs in the department. Last week, police announced that all three finalists for the position were black. Brady, who lives in Clairemont, will earn between $42,000 and $66,000 a year.

Kolender insisted Friday that the department did not seek to hire a black, despite his earlier statements that the position was designed to be filled by a black.

“I’m saying we did, in fact, hope that we could find someone that was black to fill this position, but that, if someone who had been white had come out No. 1, they would have gotten the job,” Kolender said.

Asked his feelings about the controversy surrounding the search for a black candidate, Brady said, “I think what ought to be considered is what happened. I applied, I worked hard and I earned it.”

Selection Hailed

Brady’s selection was hailed by black leaders.

“He’s a perfect example of something good coming out of Southeast San Diego,” said the Rev. George Walker Smith, the black minister who was named by Kolender earlier this month to head the new civilian review board on police conduct. “I’m happy to see some of our young folk brought up here in San Diego get such a position. I personally feel he will do an excellent job in that position. He has real integrity and is very ambitious, as well as a hard-working young man.”

Beverly DiGregorio, executive director of the San Diego YMCA human development department, said, “He is a natural leader. He is extremely articulate and able to comprehend issues quickly. He has the knack of bringing people to work together effectively.”

Brady earned a Ph.D. in management from Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He attended Lincoln High, San Diego City College and San Diego State University, and teaches management courses at San Diego City and Mesa colleges.

Brady has written a series of articles recently on motivation and success for San Diego Weekly. He said he frequently gives motivational speeches to business groups, drawing examples from his own success.

“I’ve always felt positive myself about life, hard work and determination,” Brady said in an interview this week. “I felt I wanted to spread that word as much as possible. Everyone has the opportunity to succeed. The problem is that many people take the choice not to succeed. My message is it’s just as easy to decide to be successful. I think that is where a lot of people miss the boat. They don’t believe they are worthwhile. I truly believe I have a worth.”

Financial Problems Uncovered

In spite of his achievements, Brady has had trouble managing his personal finances for the last several years, according to records on file in San Diego County Superior Court. The records say he has not earned enough income to meet his monthly expenses, and he withdrew money from a trust account in his children’s names to pay bills. Court papers also reveal that Brady misrepresented his income in an attempt to avoid paying alimony to his ex-wife and failed to meet obligations to provide for his daughter’s college education.

An in-depth police investigation into Brady’s background did not uncover any information about Brady’s financial problems, Deputy Police Chief Norm Stamper said.

“I’m not aware of any of this,” Stamper said. “I think the responsible position is we will look at it, we will evaluate it and, in fact, be asking Dr. Brady some kind of explanation as to what went on.”

Brady said his financial problems have never affected his ability to perform in his posts at ITT and NCR, both in San Diego.

“It’s not relevant,” Brady said. “One, because I’m not managing money, I’m managing resources, and two, because I happen to know . . . that those difficulties have not caused me any problems with respect to being a good manager.”

Home Entered Foreclosure

Brady and his wife, Beverlyn, divorced in 1984 after 17 years of marriage. They have two children, Kimberly, 20, and Shawn, 18.

For several years, Brady’s monthly income has fallen far short of his monthly expenses. At the time of the divorce, he failed to make payments on his house loan and the property went into foreclosure.

According to court records, Brady had a third trust deed placed on his residence without informing his wife. He also removed his wife’s name and withdrew $1,000 from a trust account set up in their son’s name after he was involved in an accident. Brady said that the money was used to support his family and that he was not ordered to pay the money back. A Superior Court judge ordered Brady to put his ex-wife’s name back on the account.

Last year, Brady asked a Superior Court judge to cancel his $400-a-month alimony payments because he had been laid off from ITT, which was reducing its workforce, and was earning only $300 a month. His consulting business, Personal Success Inc., lost $1,784 in 1985, the year it was started, and earned only $700 in the first nine months of 1986, court records show.

A Superior Court judge granted Brady’s request. But when his ex-wife supplied the court with documents showing he had earned additional income teaching and officiating basketball games, the judge reinstated the alimony payments at $250 per month.

Brady acknowledged that he has not paid for his daughter’s college education despite agreeing to do so in the divorce settlement.

Brady explained that he first fell into financial difficulty when his wife became disabled and lost her income, and his problems mounted with the “messy” divorce.

“I was running a consulting firm, supporting myself and my son, and I did the best I could,” Brady said. “And that’s it. What happened then, happened. The past is the past.”

From now on, police officials said, they plan to make certain that Brady meets his financial obligations.