California Chief to Serve as Interim City Manager

The Santa Ana, Calif., City Council on Monday night appointed the chief of police to take over as interim city manager next month.

Chief Paul Walters will take over from Dave Ream, who is retiring May 31 after 25 years as Santa Ana's city manager. A search for a permanent replacement for Ream, 66, is under way.

Walters, 65, joined the Santa Ana Police Department in 1971 and became chief in 1988. He remains in great shape, competing last month in a police vs. fire department basketball game for Earth Day. He is a member of the POLICE Magazine Advisory Board.

The council made the interim appointment during a special closed meeting, after which Walters accepted, said Maria Huizar, clerk of the council. Walters, 65, has been Santa Ana's police chief since 1988. He will continue in that role while serving as interim city manager, he said in a telephone interview.

Source: Orange County Register