If it were up to the ladies and gentlemen of the Police Dept., Mr. Davies would be the lopsided winner.
Like another semifinalist, Capt. Jacqueline Seabrooks of the Santa Monica Police Dept., he is well-known to the judges.
Ms. Seabrooks was a top-three finalist in the last Chief derby two years ago. Having been passed over the last time Culver City went Chief shopping, the question arises as to whether this affixes a stigma to her forehead.
It is widely agreed that John Montanio, the poster boy for his hometown, was on a fast track to the Chief’s chair, wearing a huge Do Not Disturb at Your Peril sign around his neck.
Keep an Eye on Mayor
Third-term Councilman Albert Vera, a perceived kingmaker in his own right and unquestionably Mr. Montanio’s patron, steered the Valley native to a win that may never have been in doubt.
Whether or not Ms. Seabrooks was stigmatized by her first brush with the City Council, it probably is irrelevant today simply because Mr. Montanio’s destiny trumped all else.
Handicapping Mr. Davis’ chances is a sharply different proposition.
Unavoidably, perhaps, it is personal.
He has tilled the fertile law enforcement soil in this garden spot of the universe for the past quarter-century.
Not everyone may think he is the precursor of the Messiah. But his authentic congenial manner, his agreeable personality, his hometown record, his pretty clearly cut qualifications should take him to the peak of the hill.
They may not.
Oldtimers say that this Council accents the individual over team play more than most City Councils that have graced the stage of Council Chambers.
In the four years that this edition of the City Council has been together, the members have seen Mr. Davies every day, depending on the frequency with which they darken the tall doorways of City Hall.
They know him nearly as well as their spouses or whomever they are dating at the moment.
This means that the Council members like some aspects of the very collegial Mr. Davies. On the darker side, they may have a few rudimentary disagreements that make them wish he were working in Tehachipi or Tallahassee.
Dynamics Different This Time
He is in the best and in the toughest of positions.
Insiders say that Mr. Davies likely can count on two votes. He needs only one more to make it out of this round. Can he get it? Answer: Not clear.
It has been said that the dynamics of the City Council make teamwork, cozy togetherness, seem as fashionable as whatever lighting system illuminated Washington, D. C. on the night President Lincoln was assassinated one hundred and forty-one years ago.
The player to watch is Mr. Vera, going into the final month of his exhausting political career.
Like all of his colleagues to varying degrees, Mr. Vera loves the stage.
Loves being looked to. Loves being looked up to. Loves being viewed as a kingmaker.
Predicting Mr. Vera’s actions, however, has become a fast trip toward empty pockets.
The best bet is that he will not go out as a mere rubber-stamper.
He will want it said that he devised or smoothed the path to the Police Chief’s throne for the last person standing.
The previous selection process cannot be duplicated because Mr. Vera maintained a very special, intimate relationship with Mr. Montanio.
Spearheading his promotion to Chief was equivalent to doing right by the family.
No such ties exist this time.
With Mr. Davies the obvious favorite, will Mr. Vera seek to lead the charge to a Davies victory? Or will be resist, for who knows what reasons, preferring to ride a dark horse?
Assessing the Rest
Councilwoman Carol Gross has indicated on several occasions that she will not favor a Culver City candidate just because he is from Culver City and she knows his qualifications.
In the wake of Mr. Montanio’s victory two years ago, Ms. Gross was strongly critical of pressure tactics she said were applied toward her during the campaign by certain members of the Police Dept. who backed another candidate.
Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger may be hardest of all to read.
Fairly or not, he never has been seen as a pro-police force during his four years on the City Council. Probably ranks as its main critic.
To underscore that perception, the police union endorsed both of Mr. Silbiger’s rivals in three-cornered race for two City Council seats on April 11.
Councilmen Steve Rose and Alan Corlin would be placed in a corner opposite of Mr. Silbiger when support of the department is being considered.
No matter what is said of the other City Council members, indisputably, the one with the most at stake is Mr. Vera.
Which way will he tilt?
