Deposed Police Chief Hired as a Consultant

Former San Clemente Police Chief Kelson McDaniel, who resigned under fire last May, has been hired as a $5,000-a-month law-enforcement consultant for Westminster.

Acting City Administrator Robert J. Huntley said McDaniel, 50, was hired to conduct a four-month review of the Police Department, beginning in November.

“I have known of him for several years and had even sat on the interview panel when McDaniel was interviewed in Los Alamitos for the chief’s job there,” Huntley said.

McDaniel was the Los Alamitos chief for about 6 1/2 years before going to San Clemente where he headed the police force for 18 months.

San Clemente City Manager James B. Hendrickson requested McDaniel’s resignation last May after officers in the 50-member force complained that his management style was punitive and overwhelmingly voted “no confidence” in his leadership. Two weeks before the resignation, McDaniel had received a favorable annual performance review from Hendrickson. The former chief has filed a $4.3-million claim against the city.

McDaniel could not be reached for comment.

Westminster Police Chief Don Saviers said he had suggested McDaniel’s name when the city was discussing consultants for a management survey.

“I suggested that his name might be considered since I have known him for a long time. I suggested that he should be looked into as a possibility, but I didn’t make the final decision,” Saviers said.

Saviers cited McDaniel’s years as chief in nearby Los Alamitos, and before that, as a lieutenant with Newport Beach police.

Huntley said the management review for the Police Department parallels a review of the city’s Fire Department.

“The city is in the process of making a total reevaluation. We’ve just concluded a major data-handling study and a five-year master study on computerization. We’re reviewing the Police and Fire departments, and in this case it just so happened we picked McDaniel,” Huntley said.

McDaniel will research deployment of personnel and assignments to help streamline the department, Huntley said.