Reform-Minded Lawyer Is Named Police Chief
A former lawyer with a reputation for reform will be Irvine’s new police chief, officials said Monday.
Michael Berkow, 46, has headed the Police Department in South Pasadena since 1997.
His appointment in Irvine is effective Aug. 13.
He will succeed Charles Brobeck, who recently announced his retirement after a decade on the job.
One of Berkow’s first tasks is likely to be moving the city toward geographic-based policing. By assigning police officers to patrol neighborhoods rather than responding to calls citywide, police become more familiar with the people and problems in their areas, the city manager said.
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