Chief Knee One of Three Finalists to Head Austin’s Police Force

Garden Grove Police Chief Stan Knee said he is one of three finalists for the top cop post in Austin, Texas.

He joins that city’s acting police chief and the head of the Independence, Mo., department as the leading candidates.

Knee, 49, is a native of Garden Grove who began his police career with the department 27 years ago.

He left to become police chief in National City in 1988, then returned to head his hometown’s department in 1992.

Knee said of the Texas job, “It would be quite a challenge.”

Austin has a population of 525,000 and 1,100 sworn officers, he said, compared with 150,000 residents in Garden Grove and 157 sworn officers.

Garden Grove’s community policing philosophy, launched by Knee about four years ago, has won national recognition from police and community organizations.

In 1996, Good Housekeeping magazine listed the department among the nation’s 10 best in cities with populations of more than 100,000.

“Stan Knee is an excellent police chief, and under his leadership we have implemented community policing.

As a result, morale is very high, and serious crimes have gone down,” City Manager George Tindall said.

“What Stan has done is gotten very involved in the community, and he’s done an excellent job of that. He’s been a creative, innovative chief, and we would miss him.”

A committee of officials from Austin are expected in Garden Grove on Friday to meet with representatives of various community organizations and discuss the city’s Police Department, officials said.