Pasadena : Oliver to Remain as Chief

The mayor of Baltimore has chosen a Californian as his new police commissioner--but he did not choose Pasadena Police Chief Jerry Oliver.

Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke this week picked San Jose Deputy Police Chief Thomas C. Frazier to head his city’s police force.

In a memo he sent to all employees of the Pasadena Police Department on Monday, Oliver said he learned of the decision late Sunday night and was relieved that the selection process was over and that he could now concentrate all his efforts on Pasadena.

“I found the whole process worthwhile--I think it validated significantly what we are trying to get accomplished here in Pasadena with community policing,” Oliver said. “This was not something I went looking for; I was approached and recruited by Baltimore. Now I am looking forward to moving ahead in Pasadena.”

Schmoke’s press secretary, Clinton Coleman, said the mayor faced a very difficult task in choosing his commissioner.

“Each of the people who made the finalist list had experience in community policing,” Coleman said. “It came down to the mayor’s choice, who he thought was the right person for this time for the city.”

Frazier, 48, is a 27-year veteran of San Jose’s 1,170-member police force. Oliver, 46, has headed Pasadena’s 220-officer department since June, 1991.

He served with the police department in Phoenix for 20 years before coming to Pasadena.