After reaching the final round of three candidates twice within two years in Culver City, the astute Ms. Seabrooks, 44 years old, knew she would have been making history in a town far more conservative than where she is working. She would have made history twice over in Culver City — as the first woman to lead the department and the first black. As recently as two years ago, when John Montanio won a competition that some said was wired for him, the talk in official Culver City circles was whether this community was ready for a police chief who was not white. Having assessed the mood of the community, the responses from some members of the City Hall family were not enthusiastic. 

Diminishing Chances

Sources told thefrontpageonline.com that Ms. Seabrooks’ chances of winning the Culver City Police Chief derby this past March, “if anything, were less” than the first time. The reasons, they said, were not linked to race or culture. Culver City leaders were intrigued by Ms. Seabrooks’ application both times, since she supposedly was on track to succeed her boss, Police Chief James Butts. He filed his resignation on Wednesday of last week. But instead of returning to Inglewood where he spent the fore part of his police career, the 52-year-old Mr. Butts said that he had accepted a deputy of security position with the city of Los Angels for four Los Angeles area airports, including LAX. He will start his new job in the late summer, after overseeing the transition of the new person. The obligatory national search is to get under way this month.

Mr. Butts was described by reporter Olin Erickson of the online newspaper surfsantamonica.com as “charismatic and, at times, controversial.” This appears to be a consensus characterization. He is broadly regarded as one of the hardest-charging chiefs in Southern California, the antithesis of fainthearted. Regarded by his officers as equal parts hot and cold, he has diversified and modernized the department and presided over a sharp reduction in crime.

Postscript