El Monte Police Chief to Retire; Aide to Move Up

Police Chief Wayne Clayton has announced that he will retire at the end of 2000, after 42 years on the force.

Asst. Chief Bill Ankeny will become the new chief. Ironically, Ankeny had announced his own retirement just last month because he said there was no indication that Clayton was going to step down in the near future.

Clayton, 66, is credited with creating a tough community policing program, which has helped keep crime down in one of the county’s poorest cities.

But critics have charged that he leveraged his position as chief to become a major player in city politics. Also, he and the department have been under fire since August, when officers shot an unarmed grandfather in the back during a controversial drug raid. The incident generated intense media attention and prompted investigations by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

In a statement, he said: “I have enjoyed my work here as chief of police and am proud of our successes. We have an excellent department filled with excellent officers.”