The Chula Vista Police Department will enter the new year with a new police chief.
The city of Chula Vista announced Wednesday morning that Police Capt. Roxana Kennedy has been selected to succeed retiring Chief David Bejarano.
Kennedy will be sworn in Dec. 30, which coincides with Bejarano’s last day on the job.
Kennedy and one other person applied for the position said City Manager Gary Halbert.
Halbert said they searched for a new police chief internally because he said the department is an outstanding department and found no need for an outside search.
Halbert who had the responsibility of appointing the next police chief, said Kennedy’s resumé shows why she is the right person for the job.
“Roxana has been instrumental in creating a good, positive relationship between the community and the police department,” he said. “She’s out –n- about, she has outstanding communication skills. She does a lot of volunteer efforts in the community. As we went through the interview process with her, across the board people felt that she was the right choice at this time.”
Kennedy, who has been with the department 24 years and did not want to disclose her age, said her immediate goals are to focus on community engagement, transparency, and improved customer service with the community.
“I want to work with the community to understand the challenges we face as law enforcement,” she said” As I had the opportunity to go out into the community, often times the community has a different perception of some of the responsibilities we have.”
As captain of the patrol division, Kennedy was in charge of overseeing 67 percent of the police department.
Kennedy’s current annual salary is $176,500. A city official said they are currently finalizing the details of her new salary.
Bejarano is retiring with an annual salary of $213,000.
