A woman will be the next head of Gilroy police, the Dispatch has
learned.
A woman will be the next head of Gilroy police, the Dispatch has learned.
In a closed session Dec. 17, a split council approved City Administrator Jay Baksa’s decision to hire Denise Turner as the head of the Gilroy Police Department, sources said. Turner currently heads the technical services division of King County Sheriff’s Department, which has jurisdiction in parts of Seattle, Wash.
“I liked her because she was fresh, out of town, not from the area,” councilwoman Cat Tucker said. “I understand her personality is very mellow, very easygoing, but also very strong.”
Turner comes with 26 years of experience in sheriff’s offices. She started as a reserve officer and worked her way up the ranks. In 2000, she became the chief of police at Shoreline, Wash., which contracted with the King County Sheriff’s Department for service. She then moved back to the main sheriff office in 2004 to take her current position.
As chief of Gilroy, Turner will earn about $162,000 per year and receive a 9 percent employer-paid contribution to a state retirement system. Turner made $139,000 annually with the sheriff’s office.
Turner did not return phone calls to her office or cell phone Wednesday.
In a city press release, Turner did not get into specifics about the job change.
“I am very impressed with the community and the quality and professionalism of city staff,” she said, according to the press release. “I am also very honored and excited to have been selected for this position and I look forward to getting to know the community and staff on a first-hand basis.”
Turner will replace Gilroy’s current part-time police chief, Gregg Giusiana, who retired December, 2006, in secret along with the assistant chief, Lanny Brown. Both men retired and were rehired by Baksa in a deal that allowed them to make more money while saving the city money. However, councilmen were not notified of the retirement until a Dispatch investigation. Giusiana had a 34-year career with the police department, including 10 years as chief.
Turner beat out 50 candidates for the job, including Morgan Hill Police Commander Joe Sampson and San Jose Police Department Deputy Chief Donald Anders, who were also finalists. However, council members were not specific as to what separated Turner from the competition.
“There was some fine differences in all three top candidates,” councilman Peter Arellano said. “Does she come out heads above everybody else? No. A few inches above everybody else? Yeah. You’re cutting hairs when you get to that level.”
At least two council members angled for Sampson or Anders and voted against giving direction to Baksa to hire Turner, sources said. Council members will be given another chance to voice their opinion Jan. 22, when the council votes on whether to approve Turner as the new chief.
“I would hope that the rest of the council will realize the importance of having a united front,” Tucker said.
