COMMUNITY
Chief Bertini Blindsides Council With Retirement Announcement
D
ave Bertini, the City of Menlo Park Police Chief since July 9, 2018, unexpectedly announced his retirement June 18 at a town hall meeting convened to discuss policing in Menlo Park. The meeting was called following the nationwide unrest over the Memorial Day on-camera execution of George Floyd by a Minneapolis law enforcement officer. A shocked Mayor Cecilia Taylor immediately called a fifteen-minute recess. Before abruptly cutting off his mike and turning off his video, the retiring chief indicated that he would be willing to serve until July 31 to presumably allow the city to
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retirement announcement is usually an occasion that calls for accolades, congratulatory statements and maybe even some tears of joy or sadness. In public bodies, at least from my experience, immediate supervisors get to know about a staff person’s intent to retire before a policy making body does. Dave Bertini Menlo Park’s Police Chief, however, chose to announce his retirement at a June 18 town hall meeting convened to discuss the local implications of the nationwide demonstrations following George Floyd’s public execution at the knee of a Minneapolis law enforcement official. The Dave Bertini announcement was akin to leaving a room following a deliberate flatulent episode intended to display the disdain and disrespect that he had for those in attendance. In what can be perceived as a lame self-serving gesture, he offered to stay in the position until July 31, ostensibly to allow the city to find a replacement. Following his announcement, he left the online meeting disappearing from
find his replacement. His statement came after over an hour of public expressions of anger and disaffection with policing practices across the nation and particularly in Menlo Park. Councilmember Muller, minutes before the chief’s announcement, had sought an answer as to how Menlo Park Police would respond to the crisis. Earlier, Councilmember Nash admitted that she had recently learned of the existence of a police advisory body and admitted to not knowing its membership and how members were appointed. She wondered whether some of its members were from her district. Bertini was appointed by then city manager Alex McIntyre, first as Interim
the screen and shutting off his audio. The four members of the Menlo Park City Council present were surprised and may have felt blindsided by the shocking announcement as well as the way it was delivered. Mayor Taylor was visibly shocked and called for a fifteen-minute break. It would have understandably been hard to continue a discussion on policing in the city in the absence of its top cop. The police chief’s announcement was unprofessional. The community does not deserve this from a public servant who was hired because of the confidence and faith that the city had in him and his ability to serve all Menlo Park residents. Dave Bertini denied himself the opportunity to rise up to the challenge given the history of policing and the need to fundamental changes, particularly in light of how specific populations have been mal policed for centuries. The Chief should have answered Ray Mueller’s question about how the city needed to respond to the national crisis of confidence in policing to the best of his ability. He should have stayed for the entire duration of the town hall meeting. After all,
Dave Bertini, Former Menlo Park police Chief. Police Chief January 6, 2018, and subsequently as Menlo Park’s top cop July 9, 2018. His 32-year career in law enforcement began as a police explorer with the Pacifica Police Department.
Mayor Taylor had to call recess to digest Chief’s abrubt retirement announcement.
City Manager Jerome-Robinson sought to extend the chief’s tenure beyond July.
the meeting was set up for a purpose requiring his professional expertise. That he announced the retirement the way he did should have been grounds for immediate termination. The city manager should have given someone else in the department the opportunity to be interim chief while the city looked for his replacement. That Starla Jerome-Robinson, the city manager, allowed his association with the city to continue beyond July 31 is baffling. After all, the odor the chief generated with his announcement is still wafting through the physical and online corridors of city hall. The city needs an air-fresh start.
JULY - AUGUST 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD 17
