Clearlake Police chief earns POST Executive Certificate
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake’s police chief has earned the highest educational certificate available from the organization that sets professional standards for California’s law enforcement agencies.
During Thursday night’s Clearlake City Council meeting, Maria Sandoval, assistant executive director for the Field Services Division of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, presented the organization’s Executive Certificate to Chief Andrew White.
Sandoval said POST sets the standards for 608 agencies and 97,000 police officers and dispatchers in California.
She said there are six POST certificates, with the Executive Certificate being the highest possible.
It must be earned; candidates must be full-time peace officers of a POST-participating agency who possess an Advanced Certificate, have earned a minimum of 60 semester units at an accredited college, served for a period of two years as the department’s head and who have completed the Executive Development Course.
Sandoval said less than 1 percent of the certificates POST gives are for the executive level. Since the organization was formed in 1959, approximately 1,738 of the Executive Certificates have been awarded. White’s is No. 1736.
White, who joined the city in the summer of 2018, thanked Sandoval for coming and for her assistance in helping his department host a POST-certified training course earlier in the week. She and White have reportedly worked together for many years.
“This isn’t really about me,” said White, crediting his department’s staff for their support and hard work.
He cited the previous day as an example, with officers helping to evacuate Hidden Valley Lake from the path of the LNU Lightning Complex during the course of the day and then going home, only to have to turn around and come back to work through the night due to a double-shooting. White said none of them complained.
As much as receiving the certificate is an accomplishment for White, he said it speaks to his staff’s support.
Council members lauded White for his achievement.
“We all feel very lucky to have you,” said Mayor Russ Cremer.
“We are very proud of Chief White’s achievement. His dedication to the Clearlake Police Department and to our community is beyond measure,” City Manager Alan Flora said in a Friday statement. “Chief White is a devoted leader not only to his team, but the entire organization. He maintains the continual desire to learn and improve personally in order to help make our city cleaner and safer.”
“I am grateful for the support I have received in my role as chief including from the members of the police department, city officials, the community and my family,” White said Friday. “I look forward to continuing to serve amongst a very dedicated and passionate team as we strive to continually improve.”
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen received the POST Executive Certificate in September 2014, and the following year one of White’s predecessors in the Clearlake Police chief’s job, Craig Clausen, also was awarded the certificate, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.