Search Committee for Police Commissioner Formed

The City of Long Beach announced on Friday a six-member search committee to find a permanent police commissioner. Four of the committee members have ties to Long Beach, and one is a former police commissioner.

The members with Long Beach roots are City Councilman Scott Mandel and former City Manager Glen Spiritis; as well as Williams Owens, a former director of security at Long Beach Medical Center and former member of the Long Beach Zoning Board of Appeals; and James Mulvaney Jr., a Long Beach resident and former Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Division of Human Rights.

The other members named are John Gallagher, a former commissioner of Suffolk County Police Department who served on four previous police chief committees on Long Island; and Lawrence Cunningham, an associate dean of St. John’s Law School who served as assistant district attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney’s office as a member of the office’s Appeals Bureau.

The posting for the commissioner’s job calls for a candidate with “a proven track record of success in solving major problems, experience policing a diverse community, a demonstrated ability in building relationships with community leaders, and a commitment to diversity hiring.”

The job posting states that resumes will be accepted through Feb. 17. The city manager appoints a police commissioner who subsequently must be approved by the City Council.

When City Manager Jack Schnirman appointed Lt. Michael Tangney acting commissioner of the Long Beach Police Department on Jan. 6, he said that a search committee would be formed consisting of  "area experts” to find a permanent commissioner.

“It is my hope and expectation that the search and selection process shall not exceed 60 days,” Schnirman said.