Police chiefs to retire in Monterey County's two largest cities

Seaside Police Chief Vicki Myers shown here at a news conference at the Monterey Police Station in 2015, announced she will retire in May 2017.  (Vern Fisher - Monterey Herald)

Seaside >> When Seaside Police Chief Vicki Myers announced Monday she will retire in May 2017, it meant the two largest cities in Monterey County will have new top cops in the next year.

Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin announced last month he plans on retiring in October. Pacific Grove and King City also have police chief openings. Myers said she spoke with McMillin while considering when to retire.

"We had different idle conversations and we jokingly have said, 'Police officers who don't retire when they can, it's because they're bad at math,' " Myers said. "We just talked about it and he said he was looking at (retirement) for different reasons and I know that he was going to meet with (the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training). He talked about it and the different things and opportunities; you just kind of talk about those things."

When he announced his retirement, McMillin explained it wouldn't make financial sense for him to continue in the position. Like Myers, he said he looks forward to being able to spend more time with family and friends.

Myers mentioned it was time to make way for a "new generation of leadership" in Seaside in a press release announcing her retirement. A majority of the police chief positions in Monterey County will have turned over in the past few years once she retires.

Monterey Police Chief Dave Hober took over as the permanent chief less than a year ago and Greenfield selected Adele Frese to head its police department in 2014. Brian Ferrante took over as Sand City chief in 2015, 

When Reuters spoke to the Police Executive Research Forum in December, the nonprofit group told the news organization that big city police chiefs last an average of 2.5 to 3.5 years on the job. Police chiefs of smaller cities last an average of just over four years. According to the 335 chiefs surveyed by PERF, their predecessors lasted slightly longer, from five to six years.

By the time Myers plans on retiring in May 2017, she will have been on the job 6.5 years. McMillin will have been chief for about 4.5 years when he retires.