What kind of new police chief do you want? Newport seeks public's opinion

What kind of new police chief do you want? Newport seeks public’s opinion

By Hannah FryStaff Writer

Dec. 17, 2015 8 PM PT

Newport Beach officials are seeking community input as they begin to recruit a new police chief as current Chief Jay Johnson heads into retirement.

The five-question survey asks residents, business owners and visitors to identify the three most important issues they would like the new police chief to focus on during his or her first year on the job, as well as to specify characteristics the new leader should exemplify.

Johnson, 50, who was sworn in as the city’s ninth police chief in June 2010, announced his pending retirement in an email to police staff members last month. His last day on the job is scheduled to be Wednesday, but Johnson has offered to stay through the beginning of 2016 while the city looks for his replacement.

To take the survey, visit the city’s website, newportbeachca.gov.

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.