Christopher Magnus is Tucson’s next police chief.
Magnus, 55, was unanimously appointed the top cop for the Tucson Police Department by Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and the City Council Tuesday. The vote was 7-0.
The mayor said he is impressed with Magnus and looks forward to working with him. He said he has heard Magnus is “fair, transparent in how he runs his department, and very disciplined.”
“I know that we have a professional police department that will cooperate and welcome their new chief, and I hope the community also welcomes his input and his style and his track record,” said Councilwoman Regina Romero.
Magnus is the police chief of Richmond, California, a city of about 108,000 near San Francisco with a police department about one-third the size of Tucson’s force.
After hearing the decision, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said, “We obviously want the best for our police chief” but it’s still a disappointment for the city to lose him.
“He came to Richmond nearly 10 years ago when the homicide rate in the city was at an all-time high, morale in the police department was low, and relationships with the community were strained and practically non-existent,” Butt said.
He said the “homicide rate is now the lowest in decades.” Magnus “instituted a real community policing model that’s praised nationwide” and “has made our police force one of the best-trained and most-respected in the region. Most importantly, he has built trust again between our community and law enforcement,” he said.
Tucson will pay Magnus a $200,000 a year salary, and after one year he will receive a raise. He is expected to begin work here Jan. 1. As part of his benefits, the city will contribute $10,000 annually into a deferred compensation account, said City Attorney Mike Rankin.
Magnus will oversee about 900 sworn officers and about 300 civilian personnel. He will administer a $168 million budget, and oversee a force serving Tucson’s estimated population of 653,359.
Magnus will replace Chief Roberto Villaseñor when he retires in December. Villaseñor has been with the department for 35 years and took the reins in 2009.
Tucson City Manager Michael Ortega named Magnus as his choice for the job Monday, and Magnus also received the endorsement of a citizens advisory committee that was convened to help the City Council make its decision.
The majority of the committee — 11 out of 14 members — voted for Magnus, but the Tucson Police Officers’ Association backed Malik Aziz, 47, deputy chief of the Dallas Police Department.
Aziz withdrew his name from consideration over the weekend.
Rick Gregory, 53, a researcher in Florida and former police chief in Provo, Utah, and in New Castle, Delaware, also was in the running. However, Gregory did not receive any votes of support from the citizens advisory committee.
A survey of about 70 Tucson police officers conducted by the police union showed only three officers supporting Magnus, while 50 supported Aziz.
