Slums Shaped New Police Chief’s Views : Philosophy: Jerry Oliver grew up in low-income housing projects. Today, he thinks law enforcement demands caring as well as guns and badges.

When Jerry Oliver, Pasadena’s new police chief, became an officer in Phoenix, he could look out of the police building and see his former family home: an apartment in one of the city’s low-income housing projects.

Oliver, 44, rose from those projects to become assistant chief in Phoenix. He moved on last year to head the Memphis, Tenn., Office of Drug Policy. And beginning July 1, he will take charge of Pasadena’s 220 officers and 157 support workers.

But the projects have left their imprint on Oliver. The 20-year veteran of police work says the job is more than just guns, badges, laws and arrests.

Oliver says he regards law enforcement as a human service, as demonstrated by his creation three years ago in Phoenix of a counseling program for minority boys. That program, the “Special Friends Project,” was picked up for funding by Planned Parenthood in Phoenix and was duplicated in Memphis with a $60,000 grant from the state of Tennessee.

“Sensitive and caring” is how City Manager Philip Hawkey described the new police chief last week at a ceremony in which Oliver was introduced to city department heads. Hawkey said Oliver’s approach is one reason he was picked from among 40 applicants nationwide, including two Pasadena police commanders--Gary Bennett and Rick Emerson--favored by some city residents.

It was the first time in 50 years that Pasadena chose a police chief from outside the department.

The decision rankled some, said Dennis Diaz, president of the Pasadena Police Officers Assn. Councilman Isaac Richard said he was disappointed. But after meeting Oliver last week, both said they stand behind Hawkey’s choice.

Oliver said he won’t be making any wholesale changes to the department. But he has a few ideas--none of which, he stressed, have been discussed with other officials.

Among them: allowing the Police Department to inspect construction of new buildings to avoid creating potential crime sites; charging security guard firms for training by police officers, and tipping off the Internal Revenue Service about wealthy suspected criminals and, in exchange, receiving part of any taxes collected by the IRS.

Oliver began his police career in 1970 as a foot patrol officer in Phoenix and became assistant chief in 1988. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University in Tempe. Last year, he took the job in Memphis.

In his years of police work, Oliver said, he never had to shoot anyone, nor has anyone ever shot at him. “I’ve been blessed with the ability to talk my way out of volatile situations,” he said. “I’ve never been the macho type of cop. I believe those kind of guys have short careers.”

Hawkey, who became city manager last year, was faced with an immediate police chief vacancy. Former Chief James Robenson retired in May, 1990, and his replacement, Chief Bruce Philpott, already was planning to retire the same year. Philpott agreed to stay on while Hawkey familiarized himself with Pasadena.

Oliver’s annual salary will be $100,000. He will move to California with his wife of 2 1/2 months, Jackie. He has two grown children from a previous marriage and one grandchild. His son is a Phoenix police recruit.