Pasadena Police: Room at the Top, Discontent Below

When new Pasadena City Manager Philip Hawkey takes over in June, the first thing he will probably have to confront is a Police Department with a vacancy at the top and dissension at the bottom.

Police Chief James Robenson, who has been on medical leave since October, announced his long-expected retirement this week. At the same time, the Pasadena Police Officers Assn., whose members have been working without a contract for a month, broke off negotiations with the city, charging that there had been no significant movement by city negotiators.

Robenson, 48, a 26-year veteran of the Pasadena police force and its chief since 1985, has a life-threatening heart condition.

“It’s not the sort of condition that gets better,” Robenson said. “You try to do things so that it doesn’t get worse.”

Doctors have recommended that he eliminate as much stress from his life as possible, he added.

Members of the Pasadena Board of Directors praised the chief, under whose leadership the city experienced at least one dramatic drop in reports of violent crime.

According to the FBI, Pasadena crime statistics in 1987 showed a 15% drop in the seven violent felonies that the FBI combines in its annual crime index. In 1988, the reported felonies rose from 8,437 to 9,243, still significantly below the 1986 total of 10,086. Last year the figure reached 10,641.

Acting Chief Bruce Philpott said crime statistics are down 9% so far this year.

Hawkey, who will hire Robenson’s replacement, must decide whether to open the search to candidates from all over the nation or to hire from within the department.

“I favor a recruitment process that goes outside the staff,” said Director William Thomson. “It’s one of the most important personnel decisions facing the new city manager.”

Robenson favors hiring someone in the department. “I feel very strongly about that,” Robenson said. “We’re a department that’s really close to its community. That’s a big deal. It would be difficult to bring in an administrator from the outside to fit into our system.”

But Robenson would not speculate about possible candidates for the job. Philpott, who has been the acting chief since October, plans to retire after a replacement for Robenson is hired. A 27-year veteran of the department, Philpott said he will pursue private business interests.