Salinas City Manager seeks community input for Chief of Police recruitment

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Ahead of Salinas' search for its next Chief of Police, City Manager René Mendez has launched a 5-question community survey to gauge what people in Salinas want in their new Chief of Police.

The survey is in place to get community input about experience and leadership qualities that people find most important. "Filling the Chief of Police vacancy is one of the key leadership positions that he has prioritized as he begins his 4th week as City Manager of Salinas," wrote the City of Salinas in a press release issued Monday.

The survey includes a question regarding Chief of Police candidate experience. The city asks participants to rearrange the list of traits based on what they feel is highest priority (community policing, transparency, DEI initiatives, trust-building, community engagement and innovation, respectively, are among these).

A follow-up question asks survey-takers to list their Chief of Police priorities when it comes to leadership qualities like ethics and integrity; learning and development; changing leadership; accountability; effective communication and transparency; empathy; and operational effectiveness.

The survey is open through June 30 at 11:59 p.m. The results will be shared publicly the following week. 

The link to the survey is available at tinyurl.com/SalinasLeadership.