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# A new chief in town TOP COP: Long Beach vet gets nod
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-new-chief-in-town-top-cop-long-beach-vet-gets-nod/
- Published: 2006-11-09T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T22:04:16.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica Airport, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*New police chief comes to SM via Long Beach*

CITY HALL — City Manager Lamont Ewell has hired a 23-year-veteran of the Long Beach Police Department to become the city’s next top cop.

Timothy Jackman, currently the second in command in Long Beach, will take charge of the Santa Monica Police Department on Dec. 11\. He will receive a salary of $178,000 a year, city officials said on Wednesday.

Jackman, 47, will take over for former Chief James Butts Jr., who left the SMPD in August after serving 15 years at the helm, during which time he added more minorities to the force, introduced officers to the latest crime-fighting technology and oversaw a drop in crime to the lowest level in 50 years.

Butts left the department to accept a position as chief of police for Los Angeles World Airports, the department which owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario International Airport, Palmdale Regional Airport and Van Nuys Airport. It also runs the FlyAway Bus service.

With extensive experience in both field operations and administration, Jackman has covered the spectrum of public safety posts, from community relations to internal affairs, information technology to terrorism prevention. He has a strong track record in youth services and youth violence prevention, working successfully with the Long Beach Unified School District to pilot new initiatives, Ewell said.

“I am impressed with Mr. Jackman’s balanced background and leadership ability, as well as his strong commitment to working with and including the community in decision-making,”Ewell said.“He has demonstrated (the) practice of collaboration and being a strong contributor to citywide team efforts.”

Jackman was one of the top-seven finalists interviewed by a panel of residents, business representatives, clergy and school officials last month. Jackman was chosen following a nationwide search that included three candidates from within the SMPD.

During the search, Deputy Chief Phil Sanchez, Capt. Mark Smiley and Capt. Jacqueline Seabrooks each took a turn serving as chief while the selection process forged ahead.

> “I have tremendous respect for Jim and what he accomplished,”

> “You don’t get to spend that much time as police chief without making some enormous strides. The community owes him a great deal.I owe him a great deal.”

“This was one of the most difficult selections I’ve had to make because of the outstanding qualifications and talent of our internal candidates,” Ewell said. “But ultimately, I had to balance the needs of the community and think about the long term and where we would like to go in terms of stronger relationships citywide. This gentleman has a track record of having worked well with all the communities he has come in contact with.”

Jackman will leave a department of 1,500 employees and a $173 million budget for the SMPD, which has 468 employees and a budget of nearly $60 million.

Aside from being familiar with the dynamics that surround a seaside city relying heavily on tourism, Jackman has also dealt with the issue of homelessness. Long Beach has an estimated homeless population of 4,475 and faces challenges similar to those of Santa Monica. In 2004, he developed a program to train officers on alternatives to cope with homeless and the mentally ill, and has worked closely with mental health professionals to train more than 100 officers, city officials said.

Jackman, a former U.S. Marine from New Hampshire, said he is “thrilled”to be coming to Santa Monica and is eager to tackle the many challenges in front of him, from homelessness and youth violence, to maintaining a high-level of service that residents have come to expect of the SMPD.

“Santa Monica is a dynamic and vibrant city; one of the most involved cities I’ve ever seen,” said Jackman. “And when you are in law enforcement, what you want is community involvement. It makes the job of being a police officer that much easier.”

> “Santa Monica is a dynamic and vibrant city; one of the most involved cities I’ve ever seen. And when you are in law enforcement, what you want is community involvement. It makes the job of being a police officer that much easier.” — Jackman told the Daily Press Wednesday evening

Ewell said one of the reasons he picked Jackman was that he is “a cop’s cop,” who has walked the beat, worked in internal affairs, served as a union representative/negotiator and as an academy coordinator supervising the internal training of approximately 400 Long Beach recruits in eight different academy classes.

When he’s not policing, Jackman said he enjoys reading whatever he can get his hands on, as well as spending time with his two high school-age sons, boating and other sporting activities.

Jackman has a bachelor’s degree from the University of the State of New York and a master’s in business administration from the University of California at Irvine. He serves on several community boards, including the Long Beach Public Corporation for the Arts and Conservation Corps of Long Beach.

“Community members wanted someone who is approachable, who has good interpersonal skills, a background in reducing crime, a background in having worked with youth, working on intervention programs, and someone who had a proven track record,” Ewell said. “I think this gentleman reflects all of those different experiences. I think he’s a good, solid administrator, very bright... He’s a perfect fit.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 9, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110906.pdf?ref=smdp.com)