Ken Corney: the right choice for Ventura's next Police Chief

He's been with the Ventura Police Department for 23 years, rising quickly through the ranks. He's been our Assistant Chief for the past six years, working side-by-side with Pat Miller to reduce crime in our community. Their record over the past five years has been outstanding: overall crime is down 20% and Gang Crime is down 14%. People not only are safer, they feel safer. The number of people who feel "safe walking alone" is up 5% and who feel "safe after dark" is up 10% since 2005.

On the day after Christmas, Ken Corney will succeed Miller as Ventura's Chief of Police.

"All Chief’s have to overcome significant challenges," he noted on accepting the appointment. "Clearly, at the beginning of my tenure we’ll be facing significant challenges on a federal, state and local levels.

• The world wide economic crisis.
• The continued threat of terrorism.
• The uncertainty of our state budget.
• The potential for the unsupervised release of tens of thousands our state prisoners.
• Increased gang violence and the significant impacts of crime and disorderly behavior on our local businesses.

"While we certainly live in a dynamic and changing times, I believe the formula for success is a constant:

• Put together a winning team
• Develop a shared mission with clear goals
• Relentlessly pursue success.

"I believe the concept of a 'great team' is everything. What a team does and how a team gets the job done may change depending on the environment, but a great team can execute any plan under any circumstance."

With a Master's from Azusa Pacific in Organizational Management and as a graduate of California's Police Command College and the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute, Corney brings both a thoughtful perspective and a deep appreciation of the uniqueness of this community to his new role leading the Police Department:

"I am constantly inspired by passion of dedication of our more the 200 police officers, civilian employees and volunteers that make up the Ventura Police Department team. These people are foundation for our success. We must continue our tradition to recruit retain and develop the best and brightest to be part of our team.

"With this team and our core mission to reduce crime and the fear of crime in our Community we will continue on our journey from good to great incorporating the following tools:

• Collaborative partnerships - This is not another program; it is part of our DNA. Being part of the Community is the core of how we achieve success.
• Innovation – Continue to innovate as the means of leading change.
• Technology – The use of technology can be a tremendous accelerator of progress.
• Good old-fashioned Police work - Nothing can take the place of experienced, well-trained and highly motivated police officers."

No matter who takes on this job today, it won't be easy meeting rising expectations at a time of diminishing resources. While residents complain about quality of life issues in Downtown and in our neighborhoods, they also expect prompt emergency response, effective action against gangs, police presence to keep schools safe, not to mention a sympathetic ear if they are pulled over for a traffic violation. If any officer or dispatcher ever seems to fall short, critics are quick to condemn the entire department.

Success as a Police Chief isn't measured by popularity, whether inside the department or out in the community. Yet strong relationships are the basis for community partnerships that are crucial to our success. The Ventura County Star described Corney as "a steady, familiar face and deep-rooted community relationships during challenging fiscal times." He'll be able to call on those, along with his outstanding law enforcement record and his innovative approach to problem-solving in the months and years ahead.