BHPD Assistant Chief Was CA's Highest Paid Municipal Employee: Report

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Beverly Hills Assistant Chief of Police position was the highest paid municipal role in California for 2021, according to a report by the California State Controller.

In a ranking of 312,163 employees from 478 CA cities, a Beverly Hills Police Department role was determined to be the best paid in the state with a total salary of $716,284 in 2021, according to the California State Controller's office. This included $208,087 of regular pay and the rest in additional pay like bonus pay, stipends, car allowances, sick leave and more.

Total wages were reported by the employer using W-2 forms and Internal Revenue Service documentation, according to the controller's office.

Former Beverly Hills Assistant Chief of Police Marc Coopwood left the department in September 2021. The unusually high payment was partially due to his separation agreement, according to the city.

"Upon his departure from the City of Beverly Hills in 2021 and as part of a mutual separation agreement, Marc Coopwood was issued a final payment that included 12 months’ salary and benefits as well as compensation for unused leave," according to Keith Sterling, Chief Communications Officer for the city.

The Assistant Chief of Police Role was followed by Artesia's City Manager with a total 2021 wage of $650,167 and West Hollywood City Manager with a wage of $629,104. The next highest paid police role in the state was the South Gate Chief of Police position with a wage of $573,830, according to the state controller.

The next highest paid municipal employee in Beverly Hills was the Police Captain position, with a total wage compensation of $458,654, followed by Police Sergeant at $448,673. Police-related roles made up four of the city's ten highest employee wages. In 2020, police-related roles made up five of the city's ten highest employee wages.

The highest paid city council members in the state belonged to the city of Los Angeles, with wages sitting above $200,000. The highest paid mayor in the state belonged to San Francisco, with a wage of $353,802, followed by Los Angeles. The ranking did not differentiate between full- and part-time employees.

View all the local statewide data using this link.