Former LG police chief will lead SVPS, temporarily

By Kelly Wilkinson

A former Los Gatos chief of police will head up the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department until the city finds a permanent replacement for department head Regan Williams, who is retiring on April 30.

City manager Bob LaSala appointed Brown D. Taylor to the interim position last week.

Taylor will be coming aboard at a delicate time for the historically tumultuous Public Safety Department. Employees are voting on a contract, which, if passed, will mark the end of an almost two-year battle with the city over grievance arbitration. The well-publicized issue spawned a divisive public battle in the November election and a vote of no-confidence against Williams in January.

Williams announced plans to retire a month later, in February.

All sides are expressing optimism that Taylor, who also served as chief of police in Mountain View, will continue making the improvements Williams recently initiated. In addition to helping the department move toward settling the long-overdue contract, officers have credited Williams with helping foster relationships between the union and city management by setting up committees.

"I hear [Taylor] is a pretty straight shooter, a good listener, and is fairly well-liked, so that's a good start," said Kelly Fitzgerald, president of the Public Safety Officers Association. "We're hoping to work with him and continue to make positive changes here in the department"

Fitzgerald said improvements could be made in the command structure and that officers told the city manager they expect changes that will "get the department back on track before a new director comes in."

LaSala said that Taylor's name first came to his attention through a League of California Cites program that assists city in finding short-term replacements for various positions. He said a rather elaborate reference checking system followed to ensure Taylor possessed the right skills and style for an interim director.

"He really reflects the kind of leadership style and management view we need to bridge the transitional period and keep us moving forward in the directions we're headed," LaSala said. "He's done other interim assignments and knows the role."

LaSala added that he expects Taylor to continue the course Williams established.

Taylor will be coming out of retirement to accept the position and has agreed to stay until a permanent director is found, which LaSala predicts will be toward the end of this summer. Taylor is a management consultant working for his own firm.

Taylor, who has worked on public safety analysis for cities such as Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Danville, said his short-term stints keep him informed of innovative ideas in the field that he can then translate into practice for new cities.

While Taylor acknowledged anxiety within the Public Safety Department, he said he's not coming into the department with any baggage and will continue with the strategies that have been put in place.

"I think that every time someone joins an organization, it changes," he said. "And this offers an opportunity to step back and reflect on where [the organization] is."

Before working on the consulting side, Taylor spent more than 30 years in law enforcement and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from San Jose State University.

His appointment is effective beginning May 1, which is Williams' last day. But Williams, who said he supports the appointment, said that he will remain available as a resource for Taylor through the summer.

"He has a lot of background and experience which will allow him to step in as interim director and do just fine," Williams said.

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