After a closed-session meeting of the Paso Robles City Council late Tuesday, longtime Paso police officer Robert Burton was officially selected as the city’s new chief of police.
Burton, 47, has been the interim police chief since the resignation of former chief Lisa Solomon in March 2012. Burton worked his way up the chain of command during his 17 years with the department—serving as a patrol officer, traffic officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and finally acting chief.
“The City Council and I have been very pleased with [Burton’s] effectiveness in steadying the Department during a period of great turmoil and transition, and especially in bringing renewed attention to and on the local drug problem,” City Manager Jim App said in a press release.
Burton’s selection is the culmination of a second national search for a new chief. During the first search in 2012, San Diego police officer Manuel Guaderrama accepted and then abruptly declined the job. Burton did not apply for the job during the first search.
In the release, Burton said he was “deeply honored” to be leading the department. Burton’s swearing in is scheduled for July 2.
This article appears in Jun 20-27, 2013.