8H
Date: July 8, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Civil Service Commission
Hedieh Khajavi, Human Resources Director
By: Kelsie B. Alonzo, Senior Human Resources Analyst | [email protected] Subject: Civil Service Commission and Human Resources – Approve Revised Class Specification and Approve Examination to Fill Police Chief Position.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Civil Service Commission and Human Resources Director that City Council:
1. Approve a revised class specification for Police Chief; and
2. Approve an examination to fill the Police Chief position on an open basis.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
There is no current eligible list for the classification of Police Chief. The current Police Chief has announced his intent to retire effective July 2025, creating a need to conduct an examination for Police Chief.
Torrance Municipal Code Section 14.1.29 provides that examinations to fill department head vacancies can be either open or promotional as determined by the City Council after a recommendation by the Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service Commission has approved the Human Resources Director’s recommendation for an open examination to expand the pool of Police Chief candidates to provide the broadest range of candidates who best meet the needs of the City and the Police Department.
The class specification for Police Chief has been reviewed, and revisions have been made to reflect the current functions of the position. Pending approval, the revised Class Specification will appropriately reflect the position for the examination process.
1 City Council
July 8, 2025
ATTACHMENTS
1. Civil Service Commission Item – Approve Revised Class Specification for Police Chief
2. Civil Service Commission Item – Approve Exam Ordering for Police Chief
3. Supplemental Item to Civil Service Commission – Approve Revised Class Specification for Police Chief
4. Revised Class Specification for Police Chief
2 Attachment 1
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Attachment 2
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17 Attachment 3
18 City of Torrance
June 2025
Class Code:
7319
(Revised)
Civil Service
POLICE
CHIEF
Definition
Under direction of the City Manager, plans, organizes
,
and directs the activities
, operations,
and
personnel of the Police Department
encompassing a wide range of law enforcement
-
related
functions
in the preservation of law and order and the prevention of crime; and performs related work as required
.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Police Chief is distinguished from other department heads by the specific areas of responsibility described above.
The Police Chief is distinguished from Assistant Police Chief in that the
Police Chief
is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Police Department.
Work is accomplished within a broad framework, with sole authority and responsibility for a broad service area. Discretion is involved in applying goal and policy statements and in resolving complex organizational problem s.
The incumbent exercises broad
judgment in defining work objectives and determining methods and systems to meet objectives.
Work is reviewed for overall results.
Supervision Exercised/Received
Receives general administrative direction from the
City Manager
; exercises direct supervision
over
Assistant Police Chief and
Police Captains
, professional
,
technical
,
and
support
staff
.
Examples of Essential Duties
The following duties represent the principal job duties; however, they are not all inclusive.
•
Plans, organizes, directs
,
and coordinates
the overall
o
perations
of the Police Department
including, but not limited to, those services related to community -
oriented policing, patrol,
traffic, police dispatch and communications, courtroom testimony and coordination, specialized services, investigations,
maintenance of jail facilities and police records,
crime
prevention, research and training, public information, and related administrative and technical services.
•
Selects, assigns, trains, directs, and evaluates subordinate staff, including management, supervisory, professional, technical, and support positions; assures training and guidance for staff involved in various aspects of police service; oversees and imple ments disciplinary
actions when necessary.
Develops and implements strategies to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion across departmental operations.
•
Implements
an organizational philosophy that emphasizes community
-
based policing, in
which collaborative problem solving with citizens and other stakeholders is valued.
•
Addresses labor management issues through meetings, analysis of departmental policies and agreements, and communicates
with appropriate parties as necessary
.
•
Formulates, implements
,
and enforces Departmental rules, regulations, procedures, policies ,
programs
, and goals
to meet current and future needs of the Cit
y.
•
Directs the preparation
and dev
elopment
of the Department budget
;
monitors
and approves
expenditures in accordance with
policies of sound fiscal management
.
•
Attends various City, Council, staff
,
and community meetings as required; prepares agenda
items, reports
,
and recommendations; and makes public presentations.
•
Directs the implementation of systems automation in the Department.
Attachment 4
19 City of Torrance June 2025
Class Code: 7319 (Revised)
Civil Service
• Maintains Police Department relationships within the community and encourages positive relationships with the public; possesses a high degree of awareness of and sensitivity to the cultural diversity of the community.
• Leads department-wide strategies to foster procedural justice and strengthen community partnerships. Drives organizational culture transformation aligned with modern policing values.
• Leads the development and public reporting of key policing data, including use of force, stops, and complaints.
• Oversees internal accountability systems and collaborates with independent oversight bodies to promote transparency.
Examples of Other Duties:
The following duties represent duties that are generally performed by this position, but are not considered to be principal job duties.
• Represents the Police Department to other City Departments and at public functions. Meets with members of the community, school officials, business professionals, representatives of homeowner associations and political figures regarding law enforcement matters and community relations. Works cooperatively with representatives from other law enforcement agencies, courts, probation, parole, and prosecutorial agencies to coordinate law enforcement activities.
▪ Serves on a variety of executive boards and task forces, attends conferences, and reviews professional leadership and legal updates, including Federal, State, and Local statutes to assure appropriate application of law enforcement policies and resources. ▪ Develops the disaster preparedness plan for the City, including processes to ensure business continuity in the event of a disaster.
▪ Performs related duties as required.
Qualifications Guidelines
Knowledge of:
▪ Policies, principles, and practices of police administration and services, including but not limited to, operations, activities, and evolving trends of a comprehensive Police Department. ▪ Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS); technical and administrative phases of crime prevention, law enforcement, and related functions including investigation, patrol, traffic control and safety, records maintenance, supplies and equipment, care and custody of persons and property, training, and communications. ▪ Federal, State, and Local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations, and recent court decisions affecting municipal law enforcement operations; policies and directives applicable including methods and techniques used in providing the full range of law enforcement and crime prevention services and activities, including investigation and identification, patrol, traffic control, crime prevention, records management and administration, care and custody of persons, property and evidence, use of firearms, dispatch and communications services, and other modern police equipment.
▪ Proper and effective methods of deploying Police Officers in accordance with actual and anticipated emergencies.
▪ Use of firearms and other modern police equipment.
▪ Literature, periodicals, and other resources concerning current trends and legislature in policing.
▪ City ordinances and administrative rules and regulations affecting departmental operations and personnel matters.
20 City of Torrance June 2025
Class Code: 7319 (Revised)
Civil Service
▪ Management and supervisory principles and practices including the selection, training, evaluation, and discipline of employees; and laws governing employee relations matters. ▪ Automated systems and applications to the police environment. ▪ Principles and practices of budget preparation and administration. ▪ Labor relations and contract negotiations.
▪ Project management methods and practices.
▪ Safety policies and safe work practices applicable to the work. ▪ City and Department Mission including strategic goals and objectives. ▪ General City operations.
Core Competencies
• Decision Making – Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner. • Handling Conflict – Managing interpersonally strained situations. • Influencing – Affecting or changing others’ positions and opinions. • Leadership – Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal. • Leveraging Technology – Applying technology for improvements in organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Managing Change – Addressing key factors that influence successful organizational change.
• Managing Performance – Ensuring superior individual and group performance. • Oral & Written Communication – Communicative effectively in dialogue and in writing. • Political & Organizational Savvy – Working skillfully with politics, procedures, and protocols across organizational levels and boundaries.
• Presentation Skill – Formally delivering information to groups. • Professional & Technical Expertise – Applying technical subject matter to the job. • Professional Impact – Presenting self as a positive representative of the organization. • Professional Integrity & Ethics – Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability.
• Relationship Building – Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships.
• Strategic Perspective – Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objectives.
License or Certificate
Must possess and maintain a valid California Class C Drivers’ License.
Must possess POST Advanced and Management certificates.
Education and Experience
Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills would be:
Bachelor’s degree in administration of justice, criminology, public or business administration, political science, or closely related field.
At least three years at the rank of Lieutenant or Captain on the Torrance Police Department; or ten years of progressively responsible supervisory and administrative experience in a comparable sized police department, five years of which shall have been equivalent in type and level to at least that of Captain in the City of Torrance.
21 City of Torrance June 2025
Class Code: 7319 (Revised)
Civil Service
Special Requirements
Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following physical demands and/or working conditions.
Work is primarily performed indoors in an office setting. Work involves frequently changing work priorities and the ability to meet deadlines. Requires the ability to exert a small amount of physical effort in sedentary to light work involving moving from one area of the office to another; requires sufficient hand/eye coordination to perform repetitive movements, such as computers and cellular devices. Tasks require sound and visual perception and discrimination, as well as oral communications ability.
When work is performed outdoors or on-scene at emergency incidents, there is full exposure to various weather and temperature conditions, loud noise levels, airborne particles, noxious odors, dust, grease, smoke, fumes, and gases. Must don protective apparel including bullet proof vest and safety shoes when responding to emergency scenes; use specialized law enforcement tools and equipment. Requires operation of a motor vehicle to respond to critical incidents, major crime scenes, and disasters and attend off-site meetings and training.
Work may be required on evenings and weekends as needed.
Career Ladder Information
Experience gained in this classification may serve to meet the minimum requirements for promotion to City Manager.
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