Chief Bertini Blindsides Council With Retirement Announcement

Chief Bertini Blindsides Council With Retirement Announcement

Dave Bertini, the City find his replacement. His statement of Menlo Park Police came after over an hour of public Chief since July 9, 2018, expressions of anger and disaffection unexpectedly announced with policing practices across the his retirement June 18 at a town hall nation and particularly in Menlo Park. meeting convened to discuss policing Councilmember Muller, minutes before in Menlo Park. The meeting was called the chief’s announcement, had sought following the nationwide unrest over an answer as to how Menlo Park Police the Memorial Day on-camera execution would respond to the crisis. of George Floyd by a Minneapolis law Earlier, Councilmember Nash Dave Bertini, Former Menlo Park enforcement officer. admitted that she had recently learned police Chief.

A shocked Mayor Cecilia Taylor of the existence of a police advisory immediately called a fifteen-minute body and admitted to not knowing its Police Chief January 6, 2018, and recess. Before abruptly cutting off membership and how members were subsequently as Menlo Park’s top cop his mike and turning off his video, appointed. She wondered whether some July 9, 2018. the retiring chief indicated that he of its members were from her district. His 32-year career in law enforcement would be willing to serve until July Bertini was appointed by then city began as a police explorer with the 31 to presumably allow the city to manager Alex McIntyre, first as Interim Pacifica Police Department.

Aretirement 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 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,

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.

David SpillerMenlo Park’s Interim Police Chief

David Spiller, retired Police Chief of Pleasanton with a thirty-year law enforcement experience, is named Menlo Park’s interim police chief, effective July 31. Spiller takes over from retiring Police Chief Dave Bertini whose last day was July 31 as he had announced on June 18.

City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson had initially indicated that Chief Bertini would continue serving beyond the July 31 date.

In information released by the City of Menlo Park, Spiller began his career as a patrol officer for the City of San Diego before moving to the City of Mountain View, serving there for over 11 years in various capacities.

He joined the City of Pleasanton in 2002 as a lieutenant, served as a captain a year later and was appointed as Pleasanton’s police chief in 2011. He served in that capacity before retiring in November 2019 with 30 years of law enforcement service.

“I’m excited to appoint David Spiller as interim police chief while we begin our search to fill the position permanently,” said City Manager Starla Jerome-Robinson. “He has led a distinguished law enforcement career and is known for cultivating a spirit of cooperation and community building between his officers and residents. I’m fully confident in Chief Spiller’s ability to lead the department professionally and with the utmost integrity, transparency and commitment through this time of transition.”