San Diego Police Chief Quits for Newspaper Job

San Diego Police Chief Bill Kolender, the longest-tenured big city chief in the nation, is retiring to become an executive with the Union-Tribune Publishing Co., it was announced Friday.

Kolender, 53, who joined the Police Department in 1956 and became chief in 1975, is leaving the police force to become assistant general manager for community relations for the newspaper company, effective Aug. 1, according to a statement Friday by publisher Helen K. Copley.

Kolender, whose resignation is effective July 8, met with his top commanders Friday, but declined public comment pending a press conference today.

Mayor Maureen O’Connor left Friday for a tour of the Soviet Union in connection with a proposed Soviet arts festival here, and City Manager John Lockwood was also on the trip. Deputy City Manager Jack McGrory said Lockwood is expected to begin a search for a new chief shortly after he returns July 20.

Assistant Chief Bob Burgreen will become acting chief when Kolender leaves, city officials said. Likely contenders for the job from within the department include Burgreen and Donald L. Davis, Manuel C. Guaderrama, Charles M. (Mike) Rice and Norman H. Stamper, all of whom are deputy chiefs.

Early in his 13-year tenure as police chief, the personable and well-liked Kolender was perceived as an innovator in many areas of law enforcement, particularly in relations with racial minorities.

But in recent years, Kolender and the department have suffered some setbacks.

In the fall of 1986, a ticket-fixing scandal in the chief’s office led to an official reprimand from Lockwood. The Sagon Penn case, in which a young black man was acquitted of murder after shooting one officer to death and wounding another, caused a prolonged rift between the Police Department and the minority community. Penn said he shot the officers in self defense after being beaten and harassed with racist remarks by one of the officers.

As a result of the Penn case and several controversial police shootings, the city established a police review board last year.

According to Copley’s statement, Kolender will not be involved in the news and editorial operations of the company, which publishes the morning San Diego Union and the afternoon Tribune.