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Interim San Jose Police Chief Looks Likely To Take Role Permanently

SAN JOSE (KCBS)— San Jose is a step closer to getting a new police chief with the city manager intending to appoint the acting chief, Larry Esquivel to the position permanently.

Esquivel has been San Jose's acting Police Chief since Chris Moore retired in January. City Manager Debra Figone said Esquivel's 28 years with the department make him a good choice to take the job permanently.

"From the standpoint of knowing the operations, from the standpoint of knowing what it's like to be out there, patrolling or in any number of the positions that our officers and other ranks have to cover, he's done it," she said.

San Jose City Manager Wants To Appoint Interim Police Chief To Position Permanently

So Figone said she intends to appoint Esquivel to be the next police chief, but will he accept the job?

"He has told me that he would accept. We're still talking about issues that are important to him, issues that are important to me. We're still on the same page," Figone said.

The appointment needs to be approved by a majority of the city council, and Figone said she will take it to the Council before the end of December.

The president of San Jose's Police Officers Association told the San Jose Mercury News that the organization is interested in knowing more about the search process that lead to Figone's decision to appoint Esquivel permanently.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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