The Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station, which serves five cities that have a population of more than 65,000, plus unincorporated areas that may number the population at 100,000 that the station must cover, is theoretically without a captain in place.
Sheriffs’ Capt. John O’Brien is on medical leave, leaving the station in the hands of Operations Lt. Jim Glazar, who has been acting captain for the past six months.
However, a search is on for an acting captain who will eventually be the replacement for O’Brien, which may or may not be someone from the station.
“My job is to keep the ship afloat here, [while a search is conducted]” said Glazar.
The city managers of the cities of Malibu, Agoura, Hidden Hills, Calabasas and Westlake recently met with representatives from the station to discuss the process of the search and to communicate what both sides are looking for in a replacement.
“Technically O’Brien will be in that spot [captain] for a while, so what we’re looking at is a lieutenant in an acting capacity,” said Christi Hogin, interim city manager for Malibu. O’Brien will not retire officially until October.
Although Hogin expressed that “there are complications on their part [the station]” regarding the situation, she did not elaborate.
Hogin did not know the time frame in which a choice would be made, but outgoing O’Brien said a choice would be made within the next 30 days.
Susan Nissman, senior field deputy for Supervisor Zarovlavsky’s office, which includes the third district, said she thinks it’s “protocol that [Sheriff] Baca asked for input” from the cities and Zarolavksy’s office.
“We would just communicate what the unique needs of the Santa Monica Mountains area are,” she said.
Nissman did say of the current situation, “I don’t get a sense that there is no one at the helm [of the station].”
O’Brien, who has spent three quarters of his almost 30-year career in the department in Malibu, has been off duty since December when he had surgery on his shoulder.
“I still got some back issues [injuries],” said O’Brien. Rather than go back and do his job on a part-time basis, O’Brien chose to take the medical leave. “It’s not fair to me or the people you’re working with. It’s asking an awful lot, especially for Lt. Glazar, who’s been doing both jobs.”
“It was not an easy decision,” said O’Brien, of his medical leave and eventual retirement. “I waited for someone else to make it [for me], in this case my orthopedic doctor.”
O’Brien, who lives in Thousand Oaks but who said he has spent half of his life in Malibu with “a lot of overtime,” said he “hasn’t a clue” as to what he’ll do next after his official retirement.
Before his career in law enforcement, O’Brien was “in industrial sales.”
“It was a passion,” he said, of his decision to switch careers. “Still is.”
O’Brien spoke proudly of receiving a leadership award two months ago, one of three captains to do so, from the sheriffs deputies association.
“That kind of capped my career,” he said. “To leave while you’re on top.
“Seriously,” he added, “To be recognized by [the] deputies is the high point of my career.”
O’Brien was presented with a tile by the City Council in honor of his service to Malibu at Monday night’s council meeting.