Gov. Brown Appoints Chief Moir to State Police Commission

El Cerrito's police chief, Sylvia Moir, has been appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), City Manager Scott Hanin announced at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

Hanin said he was "proud to announce" the appointment, saying, "This position, while appointed by the governor, is also confirmed by the Senate, so it is considered to be a big deal. I wanted to bring it to your attention because it certainly is a testament to the chief as well as bringing exposure to the city of El Cerrito."

Brown announced Moir's appointment and several others on Monday.

Moir, 47, who became the city's police chief in July of 2010, will remain as chief while serving on the commission, which meets three times a year. Appointments to the state panel are for three-year terms.

The commission consists of 15 members appointed by the governor, plus the state Attorney General, who serves as an ex-officio member. It is the primary organization in California for setting professional standards and training for peace officers.

Hanin asked Moir to describe the work of POST and her new role. She received enthusiastic applause from those in the council chamber as she approached the speaker's podium

"POST has a mission of continually supporting and advancing the professionalism of California law enforcement," she said. "And POST does this through training at all levels, through policy creation and through strategic planning.

"... The commission acts much like this Council acts, in terms of questioning, in terms of advancing policy and in terms of creating a sound future for the city. POST does that for California law enforcement.

"And for me, it's a huge honor because it brings me full circle being an in-the-classroom POST instructor and physical training instructor at the police academy and now influencing policy for the nearly 100,000 police officers that serve the state of California.

"One of my officers today asked me, 'Chief, what does this mean?' And I said the great thing that this means for El Cerrito is that our name, the El Cerrito Police Department, will be on POST documents. Every recruit that goes through the police academy, everyone who accepts training through POST, will see 'El Cerrito Police Department.'

"And I venture to guess that they will look us up, they will find out where we are, and my hope is that they recognize that all of us are committed to serving at a state level, and it could potentially improve our recruiting. So I think what it means is that I'll serve to further the reputation of the El Cerrito Police Department."

Brown's announcement provided the following background on Moir:

"She has served as police chief at the El Cerrito Police Department since 2010. She served as police commander at the Menlo Park Police Department from 2008 to 2010 and was police lieutenant at the Sacramento Police Department from 1990 to 2008. Moir is a member of the California Police Chiefs Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police and International Association of Women Police. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Moir is a Republican."