Like many departments in City Hall, the Santa Monica Police Department is finding itself in a transition now that police chief James T. Butts Jr. has officially left his post to head up security at Los Angeles’ four airports.

There was some question as to who was going to temporarily replace Butts, a chief who has firmly led the department for 15 years. The selection of an interim and permanent police chief is up to City Manager Lamont Ewell, who himself is new to Santa Monica government.

Ewell was faced with a difficult decision since there are three candidates within the SMPD who are vying for the permanent position. To select just one person for the interim could have given that candidate a leg up and created an unfair advantage for the others. So Ewell did what any rational manager would do — he’s giving all three a chance to show what they’re made of. Each will take the helm for a month.

We look forward to seeing what they’ve got to offer the community. We’re also interested in seeing who applies for the top cop job in Ewell’s national search.

But in the meantime, the next three months will give SMPD’s Deputy Chief Phil Sanchez, Capt. Mark Smiley and Capt. Jacqueline Seabrooks a chance to shine. It’s an incredible opportunity certainly, and all of the candidates are worthy based on their work in the department and their extensive resumes.

Sanchez is a 26-year veteran with the SMPD. He is the first executive to serve as the Deputy Chief of Police in the department’s history. He has held a variety of commands throughout his career, including the Office of Operations, the Office of Criminal Investigations, the Office of Administrative Services and has commanded the Internal Affairs Division. In 1991, he developed the SMPD’s Special Entry Team (SWAT).

Sanchez has his bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Redlands and is a graduate of both the FBI National Academy and POST Command College for Executive Leadership.

Smiley has been in public service since he was 18, starting out as a firefighter for the city of Apple Valley, Calif. He has been with the SMPD for 25 years, spending 12 of them as a police officer. Smiley, while a lieutenant, was appointed by Chief Butts to lead a multi-jurisdiction task force to address the outbreak of gang violence in 1998. Smiley brought more than 50 agencies and organizations together over a six-month period to suppress the gang violence. He spent two years as the commander for the Internal Affairs Division, working directly for the police chief.

Smiley has held the rank of captain for nearly five years. His first four years as captain were in the Office of Criminal Investigations, which included criminal investigations, the youth services division and forensics. Currently, Smiley is the commanding officer for the Office of Operations. The Office of Operations is the largest of the department’s four offices, and includes all uniformed personnel who handle calls for service. There are nearly 200 personnel assigned, with a budget of over $26 million.

Smiley can often be seen in uniform and participating in many of the homeless outreach and enforcement efforts he initiated. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of LaVerne. He is a graduate of the POST Command College and the FBI National Academy.

Seabrooks, the commanding officer of the Office of Criminal Investigations, has 25 years of combined law enforcement experience with the California State Police Division and the SMPD, where she has spent more than 23 years. Before assuming command of the Office of Criminal Investigations earlier this year, Seabrooks spent the past five years serving as the commanding officer for the Office of Special Enforcement and the Office of Operations. She most recently provided primary leadership for the Pico neighborhood’s community safety initiative, “Operation Safe Streets.” Operation Safe Streets is a directed response to the recent upswing in violent crime occurring in and adjacent to the Pico neighborhood.

Seabrooks, the highest ranking woman in the SMPD, was the first female to earn promotions to sergeant, lieutenant and captain in the department’s 110 year history. Seabrooks has earned both master’s and bachelor of science degrees in public administration; she is a graduate of both the FBI’s National Academy and the Senior Management Institute of Police.

We hope to see Sanchez, Smiley and Seabrooks in the community frequently, reaching out to citizens and learning what their concerns are. Even though Santa Monica is experiencing the lowest crime rate in 50 years, there are serious quality-of-life issues facing the community. Gang violence and the anti-social behavior of the city’s growing vagrant population has many residents on edge. Whomever takes the role of police chief must address those issues head on and immediately. The city may be safe, but residents don’t necessarily feel safe if stray bullets are flying around, and mentally ill and drug users are attacking us.