SELECTING TUCSON'S NEXT POLICE CHIEF
5 finalists prepare for interviews, other gatherings
After the review of more than 30 applications over the last several months, the search for Tucson's next police chief has been narrowed to five.
The selection process continues this week with opportunities for the public to learn more about the candidates. (See accompanying box.)
The candidates vying for the department's top job come from four different agencies. All have long law enforcement careers.
Two of the candidates - Capt. Brett Klein and Assistant Chief John Leavitt - know the Tucson Police Department well, having worked for the agency for more than two decades.
The other three candidates - Assistant Chief Blake McClelland, Capt. Joseph Curreri and retired Chief Mark Paresi - hail from Phoenix, Los Angeles and Nevada, respectively.
A sixth candidate - also from the LAPD - dropped out of contention last week.
The final selection process begins Monday and will consist of interviews with community stakeholders, the city manager and the assistant city manager, among others.
Assistant City Manager Richard Miranda was Tucson's police chief for 10 years before retiring from the department last year. Since then, Kermit Miller has been serving as interim chief. He is required to retire this year.
Before Miranda's departure from the agency, he told the Star what he would be looking for in a police chief:
"What I'm going to be looking for, myself personally, is a commitment to the community, because without that commitment, without that dedication to resolving problems for our citizens, you won't be worth a cent as police chief," he said.
The process will come to a close Wednesday, but extensive background checks will follow, delaying the decision for a couple of weeks.
In the end, the person selected will inherit a number of challenges, including running a department that last year investigated a record number of homicides.
The department, which has about 1,100 commissioned officers, has also become a victim of tough economic times as budget cuts have eliminated training academies through the end of June that would have brought new officers to the streets.
The department's annual operating budget is about $166 million.
Contact reporters Alexis Huicochea at 573-4242 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or Jamar Younger at 573-4115 or jyounger@azstarnet.com.
IF YOU GO
* Tuesday, 8 to 11:30 a.m.: A pair of panels will interview the candidates at the Patrick Hardesty Multi-Service Center, 1100 S. Alvernon Way.
* Wednesday, 8 to 9:30 a.m.: Meet-and-greet session with the mayor and council members at the Tucson Convention Center, Cochise Room.
Both events are open to the public. The candidates will undergo additional interviews and meetings that are not open to the general public.
HERE'S A LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES FOR THE TPD POST
Joseph Curreri
Age: 59
Current job: Los Angeles Police Department captain, commanding officer of the Foothill area.
Career timeline: Curreri began his career as a patrol officer in 1974 and also has worked as a recruit officer, patrol field supervisor, adjutant to the patrol commanding officer, aide to the commander, investigator and patrol watch commander.
He has been a commanding officer of the major violators section - narcotics group, anti-terrorist division and the Devonshire area of Los Angeles.
Higher education: Curreri graduated from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in 1971 with a bachelor's of arts in social sciences. He received a master's of public administration in 1982 from Cal State-Los Angeles.
Why do you want to be Tucson's next police chief?: "I like the city of Tucson and I like the size of the department. I think it's a good manageable size, and that's especially helpful with keeping crime low," Curreri said. "I think there's something to be said to bringing a new set of eyes to the department."
Brett Klein
Age: 50
Current job: Tucson Police Department captain, patrol division commander.
Career: Klein began his law enforcement career in 1980 at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, where he served as a state trooper.
In July 1987, Klein moved to Tucson to work for the Police Department, where he rose through the ranks and put in time in various units to include patrol, defensive tactic training coordinator, public information officer, dependent child unit, internal affairs, traffic enforcement commander, family and sex crimes, advanced training section commander, logistic division commander and chief of staff.
Higher education: This summer, Klein will complete his bachelor's of applied science in justice system policy and planning through Northern Arizona University.
Why do you want to be Tucson's next police chief?: "Everyone gets into law enforcement because they want to make a difference, but you learn that the things you can influence change at different levels of the job.
"There will be difficulties - the budget for one - but I feel like I'm ready to be the person who helps lead the department through times when things get tight and maintain and develop the quality of policing."
John Leavitt
Age: 48
Current job: Tucson Police Department assistant chief, Administrative Services Bureau commander.
Career timeline: Leavitt began serving as a reserve police officer in 1982, before getting hired by the department in 1985.
He has worked numerous positions, including communications sergeant, patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, patrol commander, SWAT commander, operations west division commander, central investigations division commander, chief of staff, field support division commander, city manager liaison, operations Midtown commander and investigative services bureau commander.
Higher education: Leavitt graduated from the University of Arizona in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He received a master's of education from Northern Arizona University in 1997.
Why do you want to be Tucson's next police chief?: "To further the great work the Tucson Police Department has done in making it a safe city in partnership with the community," Leavitt said. "Our ability to utilize the volunteer spirit out there in the community needs to be enhanced."
Blake McClelland
Age: 51
Current job: Phoenix Police Department assistant chief, patrol operations north division.
Career timeline: McClelland began as a police officer in 1982, working patrol operations and walking the beat. He rose through the ranks to lead the SWAT team, work as a city manager liaison and command numerous bureaus, including communications, organized crime, strategic management, planning and research, and employment services.
He works as a law enforcement consultant and is an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University.
Higher Education: McClelland has a doctorate in philosophy from ASU, which he received in 2002.
He graduated from ASU in 1983 with a bachelor's of science from the College of Business Administration and received his master's of public administration from the university in 1997.
Why do you want to be Tucson's next police chief?: "Tucson is a wonderful community, it's a great city and the Tucson Police Department is a well-respected law enforcement agency," McClelland said. "So when the chief's position came open, I felt like I had the qualifications and I'm moving forward."
Mark Paresi
Age: Unavailable
Current job: Unknown. Last position held was chief of police for the North Las Vegas Police Department.
He retired from the department under unclear circumstances, according to media reports in 2007. After being placed on leave in October 2007, the city announced in December 2007 that Paresi was no longer the police chief, according to media reports. Repeated attempts by the Arizona Daily Star to contact Paresi were not successful.
Career timeline: Paresi spent the greater part of his law enforcement career at the Portland, Ore., Police Bureau, where he began working in 1974. He left the agency in 2002 for the North Las Vegas Police Department, where he held the post of chief for five years..
In Portland, Paresi started off as a patrol officer but moved up into positions that included shift commander, patrol support division, commander of internal investigations, commander of community policing, planning and support division, tactical operations, assistant chief of services and assistant chief of operations support.
Higher education: Paresi earned a bachelor's of science in administration of justice from Portland State University in 1975. He completed a master's degree in criminal justice at the University of Portland in 1980.
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