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City of Sacramento survey wants residents to pick top qualities for the next police chief

After a four-year tenure, Daniel Hahn, Sacramento’s first Black police chief, announced in August that he would be retiring at the end of the year.

The city of Sacramento is calling on its residents to complete an online survey and weigh in on the characteristics that are most important for the next leader of the Sacramento Police Department.

The three-question survey will close Friday.

“Hearing from our residents and understanding their values is incredibly important to how our city operates,” said City Manager Howard Chan in a news release. “The input received via this survey will help to inform and guide our recruitment process.”

The following examples are the qualities listed for consideration: “open-minded and accessible,” “commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion” “listening skills,” “operational agility” and many others

Surveyors can also add qualities and personas that are not mentioned in the online submission.

The city of Sacramento’s chief of police oversees approximately 750 sworn officers and 350 professional staff, across four offices: Office of the Chief, Office of Operations, Office of Investigations, and Office of Specialized Services.

During Hahn’s tenure, the Sacramento Police Department has made many changes to policies and procedures to increase transparency and accountability between law enforcement and the communities which they serve.

Hahn introduced policies such as the mandatory use of body-worn cameras and the timely release of video in officer-involved shooting incidents.

In May, the City Council put a policy in place that would make the “use of force” a “last resort” for officers.