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City council appoints Kelly Ann Gordon COURTESY PHOTOKelly Ann Gordon
Kelly Ann Gordon has been named the new Santa Barbara police chief.
Ms. Gordon, who recently served as the chief of the Monterey Park Police Department and has 26 years experience in police work, will begin her new job Sept. 19. The Santa Barbara City Council made the appointment official at its meeting Tuesday.
Chief Gordon succeeds Interim Police Chief Bernard Melekian.
At the Monterey Park Police Department, Chief Gordon oversaw a staff of approximately 150, including 78 sworn officers and a $23 million budget. According to a news release, she restructured the department’s recruitment and hiring practices and implemented the Neighborhood Engagement Team, a muli-disciplinary/co-response approach to addressing mental health needs and working with homeless individuals.
“I look forward to serving the Santa Barbara community and being a part of this amazing team of policing professionals and incredible executive team,” Chief Gordon said in a statement. “My first priority is to get to know my people in the police department and our community — both residents and businesses. Together we will work hard to continue to strengthen our collaborative relationships, achieve common goals, and remain dedicated to keeping our community safe.”
City Administrator Rebecca Bjork praised the new chief.
“Chief Gordon is known for her progressive leadership style, strong communication skills, and her dedication to serve and we are happy to have her join the team,” Ms. Bjork said.
Chief Gordon began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in January 1996. She then left the Los Angeles Police Department in 2000 for the Montebello Police Department, where she moved up through the ranks to lieutenant. She became a captain at the Monterey Park Police Department in 2017.
She also worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue Team for more than 20 years and was part of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. She was a canine disaster search specialist, and her deployments include the World Trade Center after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Rita.
Chief Gordon earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree in leadership from Saint Mary’s University. She is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.
email: dmason@newspress.com
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