Petaluma police chief to retire

Petaluma Police Chief Pat Williams quietly announced his plans to retire this week, four years after he left Southern California to put down roots in Sonoma County.

Credited with boosting the department’s public presence with town hall meetings and improved community policing practices, Williams’ last day will be Oct. 8.

“The organization is in a good place,” he said in an interview Wednesday evening. “We’ve had a good leadership team, I feel like we’re very stable and I think it’s the opportunity for somebody else to take it to the next level.”

The outgoing chief also cited his long career in law enforcement, saying he has been connected to the profession “one way or another” for 32 years. He most recently served as police chief in Desert Hot Springs, near Palm Springs, from 2007 until he was hired in Petaluma.

Williams’ total compensation for the 2017 fiscal year is $329,615, including about $193,755 in wages and $135,860 in benefits, according to the city. The benefit amount includes $91,183 in annual pension.

In a written memo handed to city leaders Monday, Williams said he loved his job and “did not arrive at this decision easily.” He said Wednesday evening he planned to continue teaching and he was eyeing a move into the private sector for a job in corporate security.

Williams, 52, and his wife, Shirley, will continue living in Petaluma. They have five children.

When Williams started the job in August 2012, the Petaluma Police Department had been without a permanent police chief for three years. He was chosen from among 41 candidates, including two from within the department.

At that time, the police department’s budget was $14.4 million, with 62 sworn officers in addition to civilian staff. Williams said the department’s budget is now closer to $17 million, with 64 sworn officers and a total of 87.5 full-time positions.

He described the current organization as a stable one with the ability to retain excellent talent.

“We’ve been able to attract great talent at a time that it’s very, very important to bring in good, thoughtful, empathetic, service-minded folks into the business,” Williams said. “It feels good and it ... plays into the timing of why I think it’s a good time to do something else.”

Williams said he was proud of the community-focused Petaluma Policing program implemented during his tenure as police chief. He said his department had also found good ways to connect with the public through social media and use data to inform policing efforts.

Mayor David Glass said Williams was adept at allocating resources to keep the police department running during a time of budget constraints. Glass noted that, as mayor, he receives complaints about the city, and he said he rarely hears complaints about the city’s police force.

“The image of our police department is at an all-time high at a time when police services across the country don’t enjoy that,” Glass said. “That’s a credit to him, and I believe morale is at an all-time high as well.”

Williams has a master’s degree in leadership from Saint Mary’s College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands and is a graduate of the FBI Academy.

An exact timeline for choosing his replacement is unclear.