Glendale to Swear In New Chief of Police

After months of often contentious debate, Russell Siverling will be sworn in as Glendale’s new police chief today by the Glendale City Council.

“I’m elated about this job,” Siverling said Monday, his first day on the job. “Glendale is a premier community with a respected police force and an active community.”

The ceremonial swearing-in comes 26 years to the day after Siverling began his law enforcement career as an officer for the Alhambra Police Department.

Siverling, 48, who had served as chief of police in Alhambra for nine years, was one of 50 applicants for Glendale’s top cop position.

The new chief said he plans to spend his first month on the job learning about the city, the police department and the problems he must deal with as chief. He cited Glendale’s “emerging gang problem and how to deal with it” as one of his top priorities.

Siverling has already met with the police union and the department’s sworn officers and employees and described these meetings as “extremely open, friendly and communicative.”

“Managing my time will be my biggest test,” said Siverling. The Police Department in Alhambra, a city of about 90,000 people, employed 91 sworn police officers, less than half Glendale’s 227-member police force.

Siverling had to make a sacrifice to take the Glendale job. Beauregard, Siverling’s pet potbellied pig, will not be joining Siverling in Glendale--the Glendale Municipal Code prohibits the keeping of pigs within city limits.

“I respect the local ordinance, so I’ll leave [Beauregard] at my son’s house in Morro Bay,” Siverling said.

Although Siverling remained silent during the debate about his application to lead the Glendale Police Department, he said he wanted to assure everyone that he is up to the job. Alhambra officials said that he is.

“He was a very outstanding, hard-working police chief,” Alhambra City Manager Julio Fuentes said, noting that Siverling will be missed.

Siverling was nominated last month for the Glendale position by Acting City Manager Bob McFall; the City Council approved Siverling’s nomination by a 3-2 vote.

“I think very highly of him,” said Mayor Larry Zarian, who voted for Siverling. “We’ve dissected this man and checked his background more than any other candidate that I can think of. I hope the rank-and-file will welcome him with open arms.”

The Glendale Police Officers Assn., representing most of the city’s 227 sworn law enforcement officers, had not backed Siverling’s nomination but declared its support for him once the nomination was approved.

“He is our new chief and we’re going to support him to the best of our ability,” said Sgt. Jim Woody, president of the association, last month. Woody said the association had wanted a Glendale resident for the city’s police chief.

Siverling replaces Jim Anthony, who served for nearly six years and presided over a police force roundly credited with keeping crime levels low in Glendale.

Glendale, Los Angeles County’s third-largest city with a population of 185,000, was named the nation’s 26th safest city this year by Money magazine.