San Luis picks lieutenant to fill in as police chief

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — The border city of San Luis has named a temporary police chief until a permanent pick can be found.

The Yuma Sun reported Friday that Lt. Miguel Alvarez will fill the role.

Alvarez, 43, has been with the San Luis Police Department for 18 years. He also is a criminal justice instructor at Arizona Western College.

He has not ruled out applying for the job himself.

Chief Richard Jessup, who has been police chief since 2018, is now retired.

The San Luis City Council recently approved an ordinance that tasks the city administrator with selecting the new police chief. In the past it was the city council who did the hiring.

Mayor Nieves Riedel says the new ordinance is to prevent politics from influencing hiring decisions.