Veteran Officer Named New Police Chief in Santa Paula

In a surprise announcement Monday night, City Manager Peter Cosentini announced that he had chosen to promote Police Cmdr. Bob Gonzales to the city’s top law-enforcement job.

Gonzales, 48, was not present when the announcement was made, but said in a telephone interview late Monday that he planned to accept the offer.

Cosentini and Gonzales will meet today to discuss contract terms and job conditions, both men said.

Cosentini made the announcement at Monday’s regular City Council meeting to a resounding ovation in a packed room.

The decision came after a closed-door council session that lasted nearly an hour.

The council unanimously declined to increase by $12,000 the salary of the police chief’s position. The job currently pays $82,971.

Gonzales, one of two commanders in the 29-officer department, will replace Police Chief Walt Adair, who will retire April 30.

The decision to appoint Gonzales, a Santa Paula native and a 26-year department veteran, came three days after the Santa Paula Police Officers Assn. accused Cosentini of favoritism in the selection process and said the city manager and the council were overlooking the best candidate for the job.

In a letter given to the media, the association charged that Cosentini was attempting to obtain a salary increase for the chief’s position to attract a candidate from out of the area.

Gonzales said Monday night that Cosentini had told him last week that he would not be offered the chief’s position.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride, and it hasn’t stopped yet,” Gonzales said. “I’ve been on kind of an emotional high and low.”

The commander credited the new job offer in part to members of the association--several dozen of whom picketed outside the council’s chambers Monday night before the announcement.

Times Community News reporter Paula Pisani contributed to this story.