Police Chief’s Resolution: Reorganize Department

In an effort to plan for the future, Roger Baker, the new police chief, has made reorganizing his department a priority.

“We need to reevaluate what we are doing to make any necessary changes to meet our current and future needs,” police spokesman Joe Vargas said. The completion of several new attractions in Anaheim over the next few years could dramatically change the city’s demographics, said Vargas, who added that Baker hopes the reevaluation and reorganization will guide police through the next five to 10 years.

To develop an appropriate plan, the Police Department has hired a consultant, engaged in discussions with key Anaheim organizations, community leaders and city staff, and conducted an internal survey.

Vargas said that this is not the first time police have undergone a reorganization. The biggest change came at the beginning of the 1990s when the department implemented a community policing program. But this is the first time members of the community have participated in a reorganization process, he said.

The first changes could come as soon as January, but the plan is meant to provide a long-term vision and could therefore take a while to complete. Vargas said that discussions are ongoing and therefore it’s too early to know what specific changes Baker will implement.

An insider with the Anaheim police force, Baker took over after Chief Randall Gaston died of heart disease in February. Baker had served in the department for 25 years, spending the last 10 as a captain. Baker has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Chapman University.

Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988.