Police Department office spending prompts police search rumor
0 Comments | Pasadena Star – News, Apr 14, 2010 | by Dan Abendschein
PASADENA – A request from local NAACP head Joe Brown revealed the city spent $9,000 renovating the vacant police chief’s office with new furniture, officials said Wednesday.
Brown said he initially believed the repairs cost the city $30,000 and were done in anticipation of interim police Chief Chris Vicino moving in to the spot.
On Wednesday Vicino and City Manager Michael Beck sought to quell any rumors about overspending by the department.
“This is absolutely appropriate and needed,” Vicino said. “The rumor is a petty attempt to cast me in a bad light.”
Beck said the Hooker Telluride executive desk plus swivel char, computer credenza and a lateral file, were purchased at Fedde’s Furniture for $4820.
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Officials also purchased a sofa, two chairs, and two end tables.
In addition to the new furniture, work crews installed new baseboard, and replace some pieces of carpet. Beck said he was unable to estimate the cost of the labor.
Beck said that the decision to renovate the office was made by Vicino and typically a department head is in charge of that process.
He said the decision to do it now makes sense.
“We’d normally do renovations while an office is vacant,” Beck said. “I think it is logical to paint, for example, when nobody is in there because it takes a lot of time to do.”
Beck said as long as the cost of improving an office is under $25,000 it does not require his direct approval.
Brown said Wednesday he was satisfied with what he heard from city officials.
“There had been rumors that the city spent $25,000 to $30,000 and that it was prepared for Chris Vicino,” Brown said. “That is why we needed to get the facts out there.”
He said, though, he expected some people would still believe that the renovation is evidence Vicino is about to move into the office, and into the chief’s job.
“People will believe what they want to believe,” Brown said.
Vicino said much of the furniture in the department is old and has not been replaced since 1990.
A decision on the city’s next police chief is expected in May, and the selection will be made by Beck.
According to sources close to the selection process, Vicino and Santa Monica Deputy Chief Phil Sanchez are finalists to replace former Chief Barney Melekian.
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