• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Mahan to step down

Photo

Neil Mahan

JANESVILLE — Janesville Police Chief Neil Mahan announced Monday he will retire Jan. 30 and return to California.

Mahan said he and his wife, Cheryl, intend to join their three grown children and three grandchildren in their home state, where Mahan spent most of his law enforcement career in Bakersfield, Calif.

"The decision is related to my own personal family circumstances," Mahan said. "I am simply retiring."

The police chief for the past 4 1/2 years said he is leaving the department with seasoned leadership.

"This police department is in absolutely excellent shape," he said. "It's very difficult to leave a position when things are not going well or you have issues, but we really have an exceptional police department."

Mahan announced his retirement Friday in a letter to the Janesville City Council. He said his retirement would be effective Jan. 30.

He thanked council members for their support of the police department.

"I will in the next few months have the opportunity to share with you how the last 4 1/2 years have been the most rewarding in my 32 years of law enforcement," Mahan wrote in an e-mail to the city council.

Two council members contacted today said they are sorry to see Mahan go.

Councilman Yuri Rashkin worked closely with Mahan when someone tried to hire a hit man earlier this year to kill Rashkin and his girlfriend. A suspect was arrested and now is in jail.

"I've just been most impressed by his professionalism and the aggressiveness with which they took care of the situation," Rashkin said. "It was very reassuring."

Rashkin also spoke of the good relationship Mahan has with the police officers union. Rashkin recalled that a union representative called him when the council was studying the 2009 budget and the department heads were asked to scrutinize their own budgets.

The union representative said the union backed Mahan "100 percent," Rashkin said.

"To me, that was a very strong sign of support."

Rashkin also recalled when his family recently was visiting from Russia, and Mahan took the time to visit with the guests.

"They were pretty blown away that the chief of police was talking to them," he said.

In Russia, people cross to the other side of the street if they see a policeman, he added.

Council member Russ Steeber said Mahan's departure would be a loss for the city.

"Neil did a lot of great things for the police department," he said.

Steeber, who is a lieutenant with the Rock County Sheriff's Office, said Mahan brought the department "into the cutting edge," developed programming and led the department to be more proactive.

Mahan collaborated with the council to institute a chronic nuisance ordinance that helps the city control anti-social behavior in neighborhoods, Steeber said.

"It's unfortunate that we're going to be losing quality," he said.

Devan Dutra, who serves on the Janesville Police and Fire Commission, said the commission meets in January.

The commission consists of five residents responsible for hiring police and fire chiefs and approving the hiring of their subordinates.

Members of the commission are Staci Nielson, chairperson, Leslie Brunsell, Jose Carrillo, Dutra and William Schneider.

Dutra retired as a probation and parole agent for the state.

"He's a good man," he said of Mahan. "Everybody really appreciated what he's done for the community.

"He's been very accessible and (has an) even temperament."

Mahan came to Janesville from Bakersfield, a city of about 300,000 and a police department of 319 officers. He had been a captain with the department.

He had experience with major investigations, crime prevention and community-oriented police work.

When Mahan was hired in August 2004, he committed five years to the Janesville Police Department. He will be leaving after about four years and six months.

Mahan replaced former Chief George Brunner.

Mahan was chosen after a national search. Among the applicants were the department's two deputy chiefs, although they were not among the five finalists.

Historically, the police and fire commission has alternated hiring an inside candidate and an outside candidate.

Brunner, for example, was chosen after an in-house selection process in 1994. His predecessor, Ray Voelker, came to Janesville from Pennsylvania after spending most of his career in Michigan.

If the pattern continues, the next chief will be selected from inside the police department.

The police chief serves at the pleasure of the police and fire commission and under the supervision of the city manager.