Though he won’t be officially retiring until this summer, the city of Ukiah announced this week that Chief Cedric Crook will be stepping down after 28 years of service to the Ukiah Police Department, and his replacement will be sworn in next week.
“We will basically have two chiefs (before I leave) in a couple of months,” said Crook, explaining that after current UPD Capt. Tom Corning is sworn in as chief on April 16, “I’ll be advising him and working with him” as he takes the helm.
Crook graduated from Ukiah High School in 1993, then earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nevada before starting his career at the UPD as a reservist in 1997.
“After graduating at the top of his class from the police academy,” city staff note in their press release this week, “(Crook) was promoted to full-time police officer in 1998. Over the years, he served in nearly every role within the department, including as a SWAT team member, canine handler, and a member of the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force. In 2002, he was honored as Ukiah’s Police Officer of the Year.”
In 2018, then-Chief Justin Wyatt promoted then-Sgt. Crook to lieutenant, and commander of his patrol division.
“Cedric will be in charge of our patrol division, which is one of the bigger jobs here at the police department,” said Wyatt, explaining that “our patrol division has the most officers, has the most calls and is where most of the training occurs. The activity is constant and consistent, and it is the most visible division in the department, externally and internally, so it is really the face of the department.
“Managing that division is a juggling act,” Wyatt continued. “It is a demanding and intensive job that requires attention to detail, persistence, perseverance and knowing your people. Cedric has all those qualities, and let me tell you: I would not want to be in his sights if I were a wanted person.”
In the release announcing Crook’s retirement this week, the city also announced that his current second-in-command, Capt. Corning, “has been selected to succeed Chief Crook as the new Police Chief.”
This process marks a return to how chiefs were traditionally hired by the city, which is through the promotion of captains such as Justin Wyatt and Noble Waidelich to the top position. However, after Chief Waidelich was fired just months into his new job in 2022, the city briefly searched externally for a new chief and hired a consultant before eventually promoting Waidelich’s second-in-command, Capt. Crook.
Crook was first promoted to chief on an interim basis in the wake of a series of scandals that included multiple lawsuits and the firing of both a UPD sergeant and later Waidelich, after which the city announced it would break from its tradition of promoting within and instead hire a consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive search for candidates.
“The city will cast a wide net for the recruitment,” City Manager Sage Sangiacomo told the Ukiah City Council in July of 2022 after the firing of Waidelich, then soon after the city hired a Sacramento-area firm called Mosaic to handle the search for his replacement.
At the time, city staff noted that “Mosaic’s approach, confirmed by their interview, is responsive and transparent, with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The first step of the process will be to work with the (City Council) ad hoc committee and identify stakeholders to develop a candidate profile that reflects the community’s and the organization’s needs.”
In early 2023, Crook was officially hired as permanent chief, with Sangiacomo quoted as saying at the time: “After a thorough vetting process, it became resoundingly clear that Cedric Crook knows our community, is committed to our community, and has the integrity needed to lead this department. He will be integral in implementing programs and initiatives that increase public trust surrounding equity and community policing, improve customer service, improve employee wellness, and address crime in our community.”
“I am honored to have been entrusted with this position,” Crook is quoted as saying in the release. “Over the course of my career, the role of police officers has evolved, and I am committed to leading the transformation of the UPD to a more community-oriented department.”
Corning is scheduled to be sworn in as chief on Wednesday, April 16, during the Ukiah City Council meeting that begins at 5:15 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 300 Seminary Ave., with city staff noting that “Chief Crook’s retirement will take effect on Aug. 2nd, allowing for a smooth transition of leadership.”
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