Anaheim City Manager Picks Alhambra Man as Police Chief

Joseph Molloy, director of public safety in Alhambra, is being recommended to the Anaheim City Council to be the new chief of police by City Manager Bob Simpson.

Simpson said he would recommend that Molloy be appointed to succeed former Police Chief Jimmie D. Kennedy, who retired in December after 30 years on the force, spokeswoman Sheri Erlewine said Friday.

Erlewine said Molloy is scheduled to meet with council members Tuesday. The council likely will vote on Molloy’s appointment within two weeks, she said.

Molloy, 48, was named chief of police in the San Gabriel Valley city of Alhambra in 1980. In 1985, he was appointed director of public safety, placing him in charge of both the police and fire departments.

From 1977 to 1980, Molloy was a captain with the Culver City Police Department. He began his career as a patrol officer and detective with the Azusa Police Department in 1964.

Molloy has a master’s degree in public administration from Cal State Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in the same field form Pepperdine University.

Molloy was elected a trustee of the Charter Oaks Unified School District in 1986 during a controversial recall election there. The school district covers parts of Covina, San Dimas and Glendora, where Molloy resides.

Anaheim city officials said that a final contract is still being negotiated and that no salary has been determined.

Molloy was chosen from among four finalists for the position, but city officials would not reveal the names of the other finalists.

Capt. Martin Mitchell, a 30-year veteran of the Anaheim force, was named interim police chief after Kennedy’s retirement. The department has 327 sworn officers, 146 civilian employees and 164 part-time employees. Its annual budget exceeds $35 million.