Mayor Morris praises Chief Billdt

SAN BERNARDINO -- Embattled Police Chief Michael Billdt will retire when his contract expires in March, Mayor Pat Morris assured the City Council in a lengthy closed-door meeting.

Morris said Billdt had intended to retire in March 2009 when he originally received a two-year contract in March 2007. Morris said he asked Billdt again in early Summer to extend his tour, but that Billdt declined definitively in August.

Morris praised his chief, who has been under fire from his police officers union, city leaders and community members on a range of issues.

"He's been a remarkably good chief of police," Morris said. "The proof is in the pudding, look at the data, it shows how far we've come since the year prior to his taking over."
But with backlash building and the rank-and-file in open revolt, Morris stopped short of saying he would still prefer Billdt stay on.

"I'm not going to comment on whether I'd keep him or not," Morris said.

Whether Billdt will make it to March is unclear, although Morris gave no indication that he would look to replace him before his contract expired.

Police Officers Association President Rich Lawhead, in an interview Thursday, said March was not good enough. Billdt must go now, Lawhead said.

"The chief needs to leave, and we need someone from the outside to step in now, get this thing fixed so guys can get back to work," Lawhead said.

In a twist, Lawhead and former union president Steve Filson said union leaders hoped former Fontana and Rialto Police Chief Frank Scialdone would step in as an interim to stabilize the department.

They added that they had contacted Scialdone, who in 2006 stepped in as Rialto's chief and did work that some credit with saving what appeared to be a moribund department.

Reached by phone, Scialdone declined comment.

Morris declined to comment when asked whether he had contacted Scialdone about stepping in as interim chief.

Morris, who has staunchly supported Billdt since he elevated him from interim to permanent chief in 2006, called Billdt "remarkable" and said his work has been "near-brilliant."

Asked if Billdt had made any mistakes in leading a department now gripped in internal crisis, Morris made a small concession.

"At this point it appears that the relationship with the POA has not been healthy, and that relationship from both sides of the equation might have been handled somewhat differently," Morris said.

Lawhead and Filson maintain the chief squandered what was initially solid support in 2006 by promoting loyalists, initiating unfair investigations against disfavored officers and inconsistently meting out discipline.

Further, they said Billdt has weakened the department by promoting based on loyalty, not ability, and failing to plan for a transition.

"There is no succession plan, no plan for the future," Filson said. "And that's a failure of leadership."