Chief of Simi Police Resigns After Less Than a Year at Helm

After less than a year on the job, Simi Valley Police Chief Willard R. Schlieter resigned Thursday, capping a week of rumors predicting his imminent departure.

Sources close to the department said the chief’s top commanders were unhappy with his management style--that he was too much of an administrator and did not take firm command of the department.

“He was in way over his head,” said a source with intimate knowledge of Police Department management. “He lost the respect of his employees, and he lost control of the department.”

Reached at his home Thursday evening, Schlieter, 54, had no comment.

When questioned earlier in the week about rumors that he was being forced out, Schlieter appeared surprised. “I have no plans” to retire, he said. As for the rumors, he added, “It’s news to me.”

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City Manager Lin Koester issued a terse statement Thursday announcing the resignation.

“The chief informed me this morning that he wished to move on to other career pursuits,” Koester wrote. “I wish him the best in his endeavors.”

The resignation is effective March 3. Koester said he would appoint an interim chief soon to lead the department until a permanent chief can be recruited.

Schlieter met with Koester on Tuesday to discuss the chief’s first annual performance review. As part of the review, Koester had previously met with lieutenants and captains within the department to solicit their opinions of Schlieter’s performance since he took over last March.

Blair Summey, president of the city Police Officers Assn., blamed the chief’s departure on a communications breakdown within the department.

“Unfortunately, I think his downfall was due in large part to the fact that he did not have the support of middle management,” Summey said. “The situation got to the point where he was not being given accurate information from his lieutenants, which hampered his ability to do a good job.”

Schlieter was hired last March from his post as police chief of Urbana, Ill., assuming the helm of the safest city of its size in the country. There were few outward signs of displeasure with his performance.

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Although criticized in June by Sgt. Gary Collins, then president of the Police Officers Assn., for failing to provide direction within the department, Schlieter received a 3% merit raise in July, boosting his annual salary to $86,000, plus benefits.

During his tenure, Schlieter worked on plans to build a new police headquarters and smoothed tensions between union members and management.

“He made every effort to address concerns,” Summey said. “He took care of day-to-day housekeeping issues, rather than let them go unattended.”

This week, Schlieter showed few outward signs of what was to come.

“He never had indicated to me he was having any difficulty with his staff or the city manager or any of the political figures in the city,” said Oxnard Police Chief Harold Hurtt, who talked with Schlieter on Wednesday at a monthly meeting of the county’s top police officials.

“This comes as a complete shock,” he said.

Hurtt said that Schlieter “was very pleased with some of the progress he was making.”

Simi Valley Councilman Paul Miller, whose retirement as police chief led to Schlieter’s hiring, was reluctant to comment on the resignation.

“I’ve been satisfied with the overall work of the department,” Miller said, adding that he is eager to participate in the search of a new chief.

“If the council wishes me to, I feel I would have some very valid input into the selection process.”

Mayor Greg Stratton said he plans to urge the council members to hire a headhunter to track down candidates for the post, rather than performing the search in-house as they did when selecting Schlieter.

“The headhunters go and find people who didn’t know they were looking for a job,” Stratton said. “My experience is sometimes you have to do that if you want to find the right person.”

Times staff writer Mack Reed and correspondent Scott Hadly contributed to this story.