Rohnert Park taps Suisun City police chief Timothy Mattos to lead public safety department

The former police chief of Suisun City is the finalist to become the next director of public safety in Rohnert Park, where the City Council will vote on the appointment tonight and consider restructuring the department to create more oversight of day-to-day operations.

Timothy Mattos, 55, would oversee the city’s combined police and fire department. He has more than a quarter-century of experience in law enforcement, including the past ?10 years with the Suisun City Police Department, where he served as chief for three and a half years. Since July, he has served as interim city manager for Solano County’s fourth-largest city.

“When I talk to people with his agency, this guy is a true developer of others,” said Darrin Jenkins, Rohnert Park’s city manager. “He cares about employees, cares about the community, and he brought about trust and respect from the community in the department in Suisun City.”

Mattos began his career in law enforcement in 1990 as a patrol officer with the Woodland Police Department in Yolo County. He elevated to the role of sergeant over 16 years before leaving for a stint as an investigator with the Marin County District Attorney’s Office in 2006. Two years later, he joined Suisun City police as a commander, serving as its second-in-command ahead of promotion to the department’s chief in January 2015.

If approved by the council, Mattos will join Rohnert Park at a time of ongoing turmoil and transition for its public safety agency. Sonoma County’s third-largest city has recently been the focus of two federal civil rights lawsuits - one of which is connected to a controversial drug-and-cash interception program that placed officers well outside city limits to patrol Highway 101 near the Sonoma-Mendocino county line, bringing in more than $2.4 million in seized assets since 2014.

Sgt. Brendon Jacy Tatum, who played a lead role in the Highway 101 traffic stops, resigned in June over questions about his police work and an internal investigation that has yet to conclude. Longtime public safety Director Brian Masterson retired two months later.

Mattos said the public safety department’s challenges are no secret and, if granted the position, he will embrace helping Rohnert Park “move out of the shadows” to restore the community’s faith in local law enforcement.

“What we need to do as a department is not walk away or hide from it,” Mattos said Monday. “This happened. We need to learn from it and make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen again. We need to find out why and change things, and take a direction that maintains professionalism.”

Part of the new approach includes implementing recent recommendations from an outside consultant, which completed a survey of the department this fall. The independent review suggested a number of voluntary improvements to help spread department responsibilities and increase internal efficiencies.

Under the guidance of former Sebastopol Police Chief Jeff Weaver, the department is separately asking the City Council approve changes to its leadership structure. The current framework of a director and three commander positions would transition to one that includes the director, two deputy chiefs - one each for police and fire - and four lieutenants in an effort to more than double the number of supervisory hours.

If the request is approved, it would take effect as early as next month and expand the cost of management positions for the city’s $20 million-plus department by another $380,000 per year. An administrative sergeant role would be eliminated to accommodate the new structure. Jenkins said the additional expenditure would come out of the city’s general fund that is flush with higher-than-expected revenues from a tax on hotel visitors.

“We put a ton of energy into this and I hope they approve it, because that’s what we’re waiting for,” said Rohnert Park Cmdr. Aaron Johnson, adding he would apply for one of the two deputy chief positions. “It’s a lot better for oversight, for mentorship and for leadership in the role of the manager. I think it just creates a level of continuity in the organization and, most importantly, long term we need a succession plan.”

Mattos, who will make an annual salary of $183,750 if appointed to the post, said he’s been kept in the loop on the structural changes and fully backs the concept.

“When you look at the agency and the things that happened, where the breakdown happened is really with supervision and oversight,” he said. “Anyone can look at that and see a huge void. The restructure will go a long way … to give officers the tools and support they need to go out there and do their job in the right way.”

If the council hires Mattos, Weaver will complete his tenure as the public safety department’s interim director at the end of the month.