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About Town: Hermosa Beach
Hermosa native named new police chief
Mike Lavin, a 23-year veteran of the force, has been named Hermosa Beach chief of police, officials announced Wednesday.
"I am extremely pleased to appoint Lavin to this key position," City Manager Steve Burrell said.
"Lavin’s familiarity with the community and the department will benefit him greatly in making the transition to his new role," Burrell said. "Lavin will undoubtedly continue the successes that the department has achieved while implementing his own ideas for improvements in order to continue providing the high quality law enforcement services the residents of the city of Hermosa Beach have come to enjoy."
The Hermosa native replaces Chief Val Straser, who retired two months ago to end a 27-year Hermosa Beach law enforcement career. Lavin, who achieved the rank of captain in 1995, served as acting chief following Straser’s departure.
Lavin holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
He was chosen as chief from a group of 29 applicants from throughout the western U.S., city officials said.
Clinton case delayed
Arraignment for Roger Clinton, the ex-president’s half brother, has been rescheduled for May 14 in Torrance Superior Court. Clinton was arrested Feb. 17 in Hermosa and charged with driving under the influence and causing a disturbance at the Lighthouse Café on the Pier Plaza.
The arrest of Clinton, 44, of Torrance, occurred just over a month after he received a pardon from his presidential brother for a cocaine conviction, for which he also served one year in prison.
The Hermosa incident began at 2:26 a.m. when an officer spotted a motorist in a Ford Explorer bumping the curb as he made an abrupt right turn from Hermosa Avenue onto 14th Street, police said. As the officer followed, the motorist made a left turn after signaling for a right turn, straddled the center line on two streets, stopped well over the limit line in two intersections, and made two more left turns without signaling at all, police said.
The driver returned to Hermosa Avenue and was pulled over by police between 14th and 15th. The motorist, later identified as Clinton, failed a field sobriety test, then was taken to the police station where he registered blood-alcohol levels of .08 and then .09 on a breath test, police said.
California law sets .08 as the level at which a driver is presumed to be impaired by alcohol.
Clinton was cooperative with officers throughout the incident.
Before the arrest, a police officer on foot patrol shooed Clinton away from the Lighthouse Café after employees were trying to clear the nightspot shortly before closing time, and Clinton allegedly tried to get back inside, Officer Paul Wolcott said.
Clinton, a musician and author of the book Growing Up Clinton, was convicted in 1984 of conspiracy to distribute one gram of cocaine. He was pardoned by President Clinton in one of his last acts before leaving the White House. ER