The city of Chula Vista has tapped the police department’s second-in-command to be acting police chief amid tensions with its longtime chief, who remains out on medical leave.
“Effective immediately, Assistant Chief of Police Dan Peak, who has served with the Chula Vista Police Department since 1999, has been appointed Acting Chief of Police,” the city said in a statement.
The city said the action, announced internally on Wednesday, “follows the City’s approval of Chief Roxana Kennedy’s request for an extended leave of absence.”
“Acting Chief Peak brings strong leadership and sound judgment to this role, helping ensure continued smooth operations as he and the entire department uphold the high standards of service that our community expects and deserves,” the statement reads.
Kennedy has been out on medical leave since January. When asked Friday for a response to the appointment of Peak as acting chief, her attorney, Cory Briggs said, “Chief Kennedy established a chain of command that includes Dan Peak to carry out her duties during her absence.”
The city said Peak has already essentially been working as an acting chief during Kennedy’s absence.
Rumblings of a possible conflict between Kennedy and the city emerged following a Jan. 29 social media post from a local news organization indicating the chief was on administrative leave and would not return.
Kennedy responded, however, that she was on medical leave and planned to return. Days later, Kennedy’s attorney sent the city a letter asking it to preserve all evidence regarding “allegations of improper discipline, retaliation, discrimination and/or a hostile work environment.”
The letter also alleges “adverse actions against (Kennedy) as subterfuge for the desire of a majority of the City Council to force the Chief into an early retirement and replace her with a Latino.”
The city quickly rejected those allegations and said the suggestion of a conspiracy to oust Kennedy was “entirely false.”
The conflict appears to trace back to an incident during the police union’s holiday party in December, which Kennedy’s attorney has alleged was used as a pretext to possibly remove Kennedy.