Santa Maria Names Removes the Interim from Chief Ralph Martin an - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria has named interim Chief Ralph Martin as the new Chief of Police.

Here is the release sent out by the city:

City Manager Announces the Appointment of Ralph Martin as the City's New Permanent Full-Time Chief of Police

After a thorough nationwide recruitment, City Manager Rick Haydon is pleased to announce the appointment of retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Commander and current Interim Chief Ralph Martin as the City's new permanent full-time Chief of Police. Chief Martin has served as Interim Chief since early August and prior to Santa Maria, was a 35-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, responsible for the Los Angeles County Region II Area that encompassed the communities of Compton, Century, Carson, Lomita, Lennox, Marina del Rey, and West Hollywood. While serving with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Chief Martin oversaw the security for all MTA and Metrolink trains, nine junior college campuses, and served as contract Chief of Police for the community of La Caòada-Flintridge.

Chief Martin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts Degree in Communications from Pepperdine University.

"It is an honor for me to have been selected as the permanent Police Chief for Santa Maria. I look forward to the challenges of leading the men and women of this fine department and working closely with City leaders and community groups. I would ask that you (the public) join me and the members of the Santa Maria Police Department in forging a strong working relationship, as we continue to improve our services by providing the best public safety possible for all residents and businesses alike," said Martin.

"The City conducted a thorough recruitment process, we had an excellent candidate pool in which to choose from and were impressed by the caliber of candidates that were interviewed. However, at the end of the day, the consensus from both rating panels clearly showed Ralph Martin at the top of the eligibility list," said City Manager Haydon.

As part of Chief Martin's background investigation City Manager Haydon had an opportunity to also talk with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca regarding Chief Martin, and Sheriff Baca stated, "Ralph has an ability to build bridges in the community, to reach out to community members, and engage them in problem-solving. He's an excellent communicator, a very hard-working individual, and I have always found Ralph to be very results-oriented, and a man of integrity."  

Mayor-elect Alice Patino stated, "Chief Martin has done an excellent job for the City over the last four months and the City is very fortunate to have someone with his credentials and skill-set come to Santa Maria and lead the men and women of our Police Department."

Chief Martin will be sworn-in as the City's new Chief of Police at the beginning of the December 18, 2012 City Council meeting.