A blue bon voyage

The ribbing and roasting ought to be fierce tonight when Newport Beach’s finest says goodbye to retiring Chief John Klein.

The chief, who retired after two police unions in the city raised questions about the way he was promoted to top cop, will have his farewell reception this evening at the Newport Beach Yacht Club, 1099 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach.

It’s been said one of the more significant morale-boosting moves he made during his tenure was changing the department’s squad cars to black-and-whites, something the officers had been clamoring for. But his ascension to top cop two years ago generated controversy recently as some union leaders said he unfairly leapfrogged over more qualified candidates. City Manager Homer Bludau, who will also retire soon, has said he thought Klein’s promotion would boost morale because it would signal that anyone could rise up through the ranks.

Retired veteran police commander James Blaylock is leading a Civil Service Board investigation of the city’s promotion policies.