Morgan Hill Police Cmdr. David Swing will succeed former Cmdr.
Terrie Booten
Morgan Hill – The city has a new police commander, second only to Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming, as former police Sgt. David Swing has been promoted.
Nearly six months after the retirement of former Cmdr. Terrie Booten, Cumming named Swing her successor.
“He is the right choice for the department,” said Cumming of his decision to promote Swing. “There are several very important reasons why Dave was selected … A key factor is that he is respected here, and you cannot lead unless you are respected.”
Shortly after Cumming was hired nearly three years ago, he reorganized the department, creating two commander positions. Joe Sampson is the other MHPD commander, in charge of field operations.
A San Jose State University graduate, Swing joined the MHPD 11 years ago as a reserve officer. He then attended the police academy and was sworn in as a regular officer when he completed training. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in November 2002.
Last month, he completed the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, an intensive management preparation course, and he is working on his master’s degree in public administration at San Jose State.
The official promotion ceremony will be held in early January.
Swing said his interest in law enforcement goes back a long way. A San Jose native, he was a cadet in the San Jose Police Activities League cadet program.
“My interest in the profession was multifaceted; I saw the opportunity to make a difference, and I saw the opportunity to have a stable job, a good environment for a family,” he said.
Promoting Swing boosts morale in the department, Cumming said, because other officers see the opportunities available within the department, and also because he has a rapport with department members, sworn officers and civilian employees alike.
The department supports Swing, Cumming added, but also the community.
“He has served as our contact with the DA’s office, and Frank Carrubba (lead deputy district attorney for the South County office) and his department liked working with him; he has had a good working relationship with the media, all of those things are important in this position,” said Cumming.
Everyone who interviewed him during the process spoke highly of him, Cumming said, and he has “considerable support” among his peers.
“There are also a couple of things that are very important to me that I’ve seen in Dave; I’ve seen an ability to take suggestions, he’s trying all the time to improve his skills,” he said. “A person who is able to change is very important to me, and he has shown an ability to change.”
The promotion process lasted several months, as the job was posted both inside the department and out. A recruiter was hired, and there were approximately 30 applicants for the position.
The field was narrowed to eight by the recruiter, Cumming said; then he met with those eight, and four finalists were selected. These four semi-finalists went through a series of interviews with department heads, professionals from the community and City Manager Ed Tewes.
After the interviews, Cumming said, two finalists were chosen, Swing and a candidate from outside the department. Cumming then made the final choice.
Swing’s promotion creates the opportunity for additional promotions in the department. A sergeant could make a lateral move into Swing’s former position, Special Operations sergeant; an opening would then be created for a current corporal to move up to sergeant and an officer to move into the corporal position.
“I would tell anyone interested in exploring law enforcement as a possibility for their career to first ask themselves their motive for getting into the job; if the motivation is because they want to be a police officer for the power that is entrusted to you, then that’s the wrong reason,” he said. “If your motive is to try to make a difference and help people, then you’re on the right path.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
