A year and four months after the Seal Beach Police Chief retired, City Manger Jill Ingram has selected Long Beach Police Commander Joe Stilinovich as the city’s next permanent police chief.
The City Council will be asked to approve the contract, but in Seal Beach the police chief serves at the pleasure of the city manager.
Joe Stilinovich replaces interim Chief Keith L. Kilmer, who in turn replaced Interim Police Chief Robert Luman, who was only allowed to serve Seal Beach for one year under CalPERS rules. Luman was hired following the retirement of Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick, who stepped down in June 2011. Kirkpatrick announced his retirement in February of that year.
Long Beach Police Commander Stilinovich brings over 17 years of experience in public service to the Seal Beach Police Department, according to a statement issued by the city of Seal Beach . Commander Stilinovich has spent his entire law enforcement career with Long Beach.
Stilinovich served for the past five years as a commander, and currently heads the Long Beach Police Department’s Gang and Violent Crimes Division. His assignments have also included Patrol South Division commander and Training Division Commander.
“Joe has a proven track record of leadership in the areas the council and I heard were most important to our community, our employees and our strategic partners,” said City Manager Ingram. “He has a wealth of experience and I am extremely confident he is capable of advancing the goals and objectives of the city’s stellar police department and the Seal Beach community.”
Mayor Michael Levitt said: “I believe that we have found in Commander Stilinovich a chief of police that not only has the professional qualifications, but the personal attributes, demeanor, interests, and community spirit that will make him an excellent fit for this very important position in Seal Beach.”
However, one local activist would have preferred to see the city select the new chief from the ranks of the Seal Beach force. “My initial reaction would be: I am disappointed that the city manager and council did not support Captain Tim Olson, a 25-plus year employee of the Seal Beach Police Department for the position of police chief,” said Marc Loopesko. It was Loopesko who learned of Chief Kirkpatrick’s retirement plans in February of last year, before Kirkpatrick’s retirement was officially announced.
Loopesko, a member of the Recreation and Parks commission, began lobbying for Olson’s promotion the day Kirkpatrick told his staff he had decided to retire.
New Police Chief-select Stilinovich has a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in emergency service administration both from California State University, Long Beach. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, West Point Leadership Program, Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, and received the California Peace Officers Association Professional Achievement Award.
“I am very honored and humbled to have been selected by City Manager Ingram to serve as the chief of police for the Seal Beach Police Department,” Stilinovich said. “Policing is a people business and Seal Beach is known for being a close knit, supportive community. I am excited to work with the community and entire city family. The Seal Beach Police Department is a strong, well-respected organization. My goal is to keep the department moving forward while ensuring we are responsive, approachable and transparent to the community we serve.”
