Laguna Beach Hires Next Police Chief To Surf And Protect City

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Robert Thompson, current Police Chief of Dixon, California, will serve as the next Police Chief for the City of Laguna Beach, the city manager's office announced Tuesday.

According to City Manager John Pietig, Thompson was selected to fill the boots of retiring Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella. He was chosen from a talented pool of internal and external applicants, and will be sworn in to serve the city of Laguna Beach on January 18, 2021. He will earn $210,000 annual salary.

Pietig spoke on filling the spot left by Chief Laura Farinella over the summer. Though she intended to leave the department in March, she agreed to extend her retirement until her replacement was found.

Farinella approves of her replacement, saying that he "brings an understanding of leading a similar-sized agency, as well as having experience with our federal partners."

"Chief Thompson is presently Chief of Police in Dixon, California, a city of nearly 21,000 people, and brings over 26 years of public safety experience," Pietig said.

Thompson brings with him an impressive resume. He began his law enforcement career in 1994 as a Police Officer with the St. Louis, Missouri Police Department where he served as a police officer for eight years. He then joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assigned to the Sacramento Division for 15 years.

Thompson's duties at FBI included working as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Fairfield Resident Agency.

"In this capacity, he served as a member of the Solano County Law Enforcement Administrators Association, an organization comprised of the Solano County Sheriff and all police chiefs in Solano County," Pietig said.

Thompson then joined the City of Dixon in March 2017 as its Police Chief.

After joining Dixon, Chief Thompson was instrumental in establishing core values, engaging the community, and reorienting the police department members' philosophy. He also created career development programs to prepare officers for advancement, emphasizing the importance of investing in employees and the city's commitment to their growth.

Thompson expressed his enthusiasm for moving to where police surf and protect.

"I am excited and humbled by this opportunity and committed to continuing the strong Community Oriented Policing programs in Laguna Beach," he said. "I enjoy engaging community leaders, business owners, and citizens while creating an environment of public trust in the police department and where employees feel connected to the community they serve."

Chief Thompson holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Management. He is a graduate of the FBI Academy, has taught at the FBI's Leadership Program, and has completed numerous post-graduate programs.

Outgoing Chief Farinella gave her well-wishes to the incoming chief, saying she "looked forward to his success and the deapartment growing under his leadership."

Pietig agreed, citing his "success at working collaboratively with the community, his colleagues and the police department" as what "set him apart from other candidates."