Hail to the next chief of police

Lauren Vane

The city announced Wednesday that current Seal Beach Chief of Police

Michael Sellers will succeed Laguna Beach Police Chief Jim Spreine

when Spreine retires from his post in October.

With eight years of experience as chief, Sellers said he knows the

benefits -- and challenges -- of running a police department in a

small, coastal city.

“It just seems to be a natural fit,” he said.

Sellers is already familiar with dealing with crowds of tourists,

traffic, parking enforcement and all the other issues facing a beach

community, Seal Beach City Manager John B. Bahorski said.

Serving Seal Beach, Sellers has tightened up special-event

preparedness and taken charge of an effort to rewrite the city’s

disaster and emergency services plan, said Bahorski, who has worked

with Sellers for more than four years.

“Seal Beach is a very personalized, customer-service city,”

Bahorski said. “Residents expect a lot of their police department;

I’m sure Laguna Beach is like that.”

Sellers competed for the position in interviews and testing. Two

in-house candidates, Capt. Danell Adams and Capt. Paul Workman, were

among those who applied.

The move to Laguna Beach will not be a formal introduction for

Sellers; he grew up spending his summers here and has gotten to know

the department over the years through his wife, Rita Fraser, who

works for the city’s fire and police communications.

Sellers and his wife currently live in San Clemente.

For Sellers, the chance to work in the city he calls “California’s

crown jewel” is a chance he’s been waiting for.

“It’s just a dream come true,” he said.

The new position does not come without significant challenges,

Sellers said.

The city is still dealing with the impact of the June landslide

and continues to face the financial burdens that plague many local

governments, he explained.

“My goals will be similar to what I’ve done here, and that is,

we’re going to look out for the safety and security of the community

there,” Sellers said.

Spreine said Sellers is an experienced professional who will have

no problem transitioning. Sellers is coming into a department with a

strong command staff and a fleet of men and women dedicated to

serving their community, Spreine said.

“He clearly recognizes that this is a very special community and a

special organization,” Spreine said. “It’s a great opportunity for

him.”

Now that the city has named the next police chief, Spreine -- who

has served Laguna for more than 21 years -- is getting ready to say

goodbye.

“I’m happy for him [Sellers], and I’m happy for the community, but

I’m also sad because it’s that next thing that tells me it’s a

reality that I’m going to be leaving a community and an organization

that I love very much,” Spreine said.

There is one important prerequisite for anyone who wants to be

chief of police in Laguna, Spreine said. For years, Spreine has

performed in the city’s musical farce, “Lagunatics,” and he expects

Sellers will do the same.

“I don’t have his voice,” Sellers said of Spreine’s musical

talent. But he said he will find some way to contribute.

QUESTION

Should the city have promoted from within instead of hiring from

outside to replace Chief Spreine? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna

Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or fax us

at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your hometown and

phone number for verification purposes only.

* LAUREN VANE covers public safety and courts. She may be reached

at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at lauren.vane@latimes.com.