Former police chief takes new post

Costa Mesa officials expected to have named a new police chief by the end of October, but they said Tuesday they’re still in the midst of background checks on the two finalists who were named Oct. 2.

Interim Police Chief Steven Staveley said he’ll stay at the department until the new chief begins work.

The city’s former police chief, John Hensley, has moved on to a new assignment. Hensley retired June 30 after three years with Costa Mesa, and a story Monday in the Desert Sun newspaper in the Palm Springs area said he was to take over Tuesday as interim police chief of the city of Desert Hot Springs.

Hensley could not be reached Tuesday, and several calls to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department seeking additional information were not returned.

Meanwhile, Costa Mesa officials are weighing the merits of two police chief candidates, Phoenix Police Department Cmdr. Christopher Shawkey and Long Beach Police Chief Timothy Jackman.

City Manager Allan Roeder told police personnel in an e-mail Friday that the background checks are taking “somewhat longer than I would like,” but he added, “I will not short-cut the city’s due diligence for expediency sake.”