The Fort Bragg City Council has approved the appointment of an interim police chief who will take over as the city’s top cop starting in October.
Eric Swift was appointed effective Oct. 1 to serve as interim chief after most recently serving as a major with the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Before that in his 20-plus years in law enforcement, he has worked as a lieutenant with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and for more than a decade in different roles with the Santa Rosa Police Department.
He is taking over for Neil Cervenka, who the city announced last month will be retiring as police chief on Sept. 30 after three years with the department. Cervenka worked for the Turlock Police Department for more than 20 years before coming to Fort Bragg.
The employment agreement approved by the City Council calls for Swift to serve in the role for up to 960 hours for a maximum compensation of $80,505.
“Eric is a seasoned, service-minded leader who understands modern policing and the importance of building trust with the community,” City Manager Isaac Whippy said in a press release. “His experience will provide stability during this transition while allowing our leadership team to continue delivering high-quality public safety services.”
The city’s press release says Swift’s “extensive background spans patrol and administrative command, training and recruitment, transparency initiatives, and community-based policing.”
Fort Bragg is also starting the recruitment process for a new permanent chief and will host a community town hall next week to get feedback from the public. The meeting is planned for 5:30 p.m. Monday at Town Hall at 363 N. Main St. People can also share feedback via an online survey.
City officials said the recruitment process will run through December.
This story originally appeared in The Mendocino Voice.