Cloverdale to promote Sgt. Stephen Cramer to police chief

Cloverdale’s next police chief is coming from within the department’s ranks.

Sgt. Stephen Cramer, a 10-year veteran of the Cloverdale force, was chosen to be chief over eight other candidates who applied to head a department that has seen its share of controversy in recent years.

Cramer, 53, is set to take the reins of the 21-person department following the anticipated approval of his contract by the City Council on Wednesday.

He will be paid $125,000 and take over the position from interim chief Susan Jones, who has led the department for six months following a clash between the previous chief and the city manager.

Jones, a retired Healdsburg police chief, was called to fill in for former Cloverdale chief Mark Tuma, who was put on leave in March after finding himself at odds with City Manager Paul Cayler.

Separate investigations were launched - one centering on Cayler’s interaction with Tuma and police employees, the other initiated by an undisclosed complaint of misconduct within the police department.

Citing confidentiality regulations, the specifics of the alleged misconduct in the department were never disclosed, nor were the results of the investigation, although a 57-page public report found no wrongdoing by the city manager.

Tuma took an early retirement in June.

Jones, the interim chief, helped “bring this department through the drama,” Cayler said Friday. “Morale in the department is improved tremendously and the men and women on the force want to move forward positively in the future and put this whole case behind them.”

“Everyone has a positive outlook. We’re moving forward, getting back into the swing of providing excellent law enforcement services in the community,” Cramer said Friday. “I’m really excited about this opportunity.”

Cloverdale, with an approximate population of 8,600, was singled out earlier this year as the third-safest small community in California, according to niche.com, based on FBI crime statistics.

Cramer said most crime incidents in Cloverdale involve vandalism and petty thefts.

“We don’t have a strong gang problem,” he said.

The department is authorized for 14 sworn officers, including the chief, but currently has two unfilled positions.

“We’re consistently short-staffed,” Cramer said.

A 16-year veteran of law enforcement, Cramer was chosen among several finalists who were subject to interviews with three different panels, consisting of community and business leaders and city officials.

In a statement, Cayler called him “a law enforcement officer of the highest integrity. I am excited by his energy and vision to improve community policing in Cloverdale.”

Cramer began his law enforcement career in 1997 with the Sonoma Police Department, where he rose to sergeant. In 2002, he left the department and worked for a year as a “fugitive recovery agent,” also known as a bounty hunter.

In 2005, he returned to police work with the Cloverdale department, rising to field training officer, corporal and eventually sergeant in 2010.

Cramer has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco and two master’s degrees - one in leadership from St. Mary’s College and another in organization development from the University of San Francisco. He also has a law degree from Empire College.

He holds a variety of advanced and supervisory training certificates for law enforcement officers and has published academic articles on restorative justice.

Cramer is a Mothers Against Drunk Driving Heroes Award recipient and two-time officer of the year in the Cloverdale Police Department.

He has survived throat and thyroid cancer and has been cancer-free for a year and a half, he said.

He and his wife of 20 years, Tami, have seven children and five grandchildren, with a sixth on the way.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@clarkmas