Simi Valley Promotes New Police Chief From Ranks as Glendale Hires Adams

Simi Valley Police Chief Randy Adams will become Glendale’s police chief next month, and Capt. Mark Layhew has been named as Adams’ successor.

As Simi Valley chief since 1995, Adams, 51, oversaw 120 officers and 66 civilian employees. In recent years, the city has consistently vied with Thousand Oaks as the nation’s safest city with at least 100,000 residents.

Previously, Adams served for 23 years in the Ventura Police Department, as lieutenant, captain and then assistant chief.

He holds master’s degrees in management from Cal Poly Pomona and administration of justice from Cal Lutheran University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in police science and administration from Cal State Los Angeles.

Adams, who will assume the new post Jan. 31, replaces longtime Chief Russell Siverling, who retired this week.

“I am proud to be selected and look forward to joining the Glendale Police Department and continuing to build on its fine reputation,” Adams said in a statement. He takes over a department with 244 sworn officers and 114 civilian employees.

Adams has served as president of the California Peace Officers Assn. and graduated from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College and the FBI National Academy.

“We hate to see Randy go, but by the same token ... this is a good move up for him,” Simi Valley Mayor Bill Davis said Wednesday. “He’s done a really good job for us and obviously another police department saw how good of an operation we have.”

Davis said that during 16 years on the City Council, several top city officials have been lured away by larger cities and bigger salaries. Since 1986, the city has had three different police chiefs, he said.

“I guess we’re a pretty good training ground for a lot of different people,” Davis said.

Layhew, 50, is a prime example of that training, Davis said. The incoming chief is so highly regarded by council members and police colleagues that city leaders decided against the normal nationwide search.

Married and the father of two children, Layhew started with the Simi Police Department in 1975 and worked his way through the ranks. “It’s very gratifying and good for the organization for people to come in from the bottom step and make their way to the top,” Layhew said.

The new chief said he has no plans for major changes, but will take a broad look at aspects of the department.