A common theme brought up by employees of the Morgan Hill Police
Department, when talking about former Chief Bruce Cumming, is that
of respect
– how he treated people with it and how he earned it in the
six-plus years he worked for the city.
A common theme brought up by employees of the Morgan Hill Police Department, when talking about former Chief Bruce Cumming, is that of respect – how he treated people with it and how he earned it in the six-plus years he worked for the city.
That’s illustrated in the way he listens to his patrol officers, has tried to reassure his detectives during tough budget times and given staff members flexibility to do their jobs, some of the departments 56 employees said.
“He has a genuine interest in our well-being,” said Detective Scott Purvis. “He cares about us and our families. It’s not common that a chief supports you (as much as Cumming has), and gives you the confidence to do your job, and he’s fair.”
Purvis said he was surprised a couple years ago when, laid up with an on-the-job injury, Cumming made an unexpected visit to the hospital. “I was shocked when he walked in,” Purvis said.
As Cumming put it earlier this week, “Everybody gets treated with respect (at MHPD). Everybody on this earth knows what respect is.”
Today is Cumming’s first day of retirement, after a 42-year career in law enforcement – mostly in the Bay Area.
Cumming, 64, started in Morgan Hill as interim chief in 2004. In retirement he plans to spend more time with his wife of 40 years, Rhonda Cumming, their 3-year-old grandson, and another grandchild who is due next month.
He looks forward to traveling and devoting more time to his hobbies – taking care of his two classic cars and collecting antiques.
But he said Wednesday he has “mixed feelings” about ending a career that has been rewarding every step of the way.
“It’s the right thing to do, but I’ve enjoyed my career,” Cumming said. “I’ve always liked the idea of helping people. I always liked the excitement of the job, and it’s very rewarding to me to see a crime solved.”
In Morgan Hill, those crimes include two murders – a gang-related slaying behind Safeway on Tennant Avenue in which the killer was arrested within 24 hours, and an infant death that went unsolved for three years before police could pin down a suspect.
Another example is the recent retrieval of a stolen American flag that may not have been worth a lot of money, but which had been draped on its owner’s father’s coffin at his funeral.
Cases such as these “leave deep impressions,” Cumming said.
The chief started his career in 1968 in San Carlos. From there, he worked for the Palo Alto Police Department for 15 years, serving in a variety of assignments including patrol, detective work, SWAT team and field training. He has been a sergeant, a lieutenant and a captain.
He eventually became chief of police in Menlo Park, and he retired from that city in 1999. Shortly after his first retirement, Cumming said he “got bored,” and served as interim chief in a couple of different places, including Fort Bragg, before being hired in Morgan Hill.
While Cumming has enjoyed the excitement of police work, he said being chief can be difficult – especially when he has to make staffing and spending decisions that affect his employees’ lives.
In Morgan Hill, he has dealt with such situations due to the deteriorating economy. This year alone, he had to cut about $1 million out of a nearly $11 million budget. Over the last two years, the department has lost a number of positions – including three officers, a dispatch person and a multi-service officer.
Such cuts require a reassessment of priorities, knowing that some people will be upset, Cumming explained.
But his officers say Cumming has had his priorities straight, and has always had their interests in mind.
Sgt. Jerry Neumayer said when Cumming arrived in Morgan Hill, the department’s minimum staffing per shift was two officers and one supervisor. Recognizing that as potentially dangerous, one of the first things Cumming did as chief was to add one more officer to the minimum.
“It cost more in overtime, but he was more concerned about our safety than the money,” Neumayer said. “He’s going to be sorely missed because he’s such as good leader for this whole department, and he genuinely cares for his people.”
Neumayer is not the only longtime Morgan Hill officer who said Cumming is the best chief who has served the city in recent memory.
Officer Mike Nelson, who has served in Morgan Hill for the entirety of his 26-year career, said Cumming “raised the bar.”
“He brought a degree of professionalism that was really lacking,” Nelson said. “I almost hate to see him go.”
And it’s not just the veterans who share this respect. Officer Carlos Guerrero, a newcomer to MHPD, said his chief sought to calm his nerves earlier this year during a budget crunch in which layoffs seemed inevitable. Guerrero and Detective Carson Thomas, lowest in seniority in the department, would have been among the first to go.
But during the tense time, the chief called each of them into his office individually just to reassure them that he was fighting to save their jobs. Guerrero said talking to Cumming was “almost not police related.”
“As soon as you walk into his office it becomes a friendly talk – no high stress,” Guerrero said. “He’ll make you feel like he’s your friend.”
The department’s administrative staff have similar feelings. Cumming’s secretary, Lisa Cardenas, praised the chief’s sense of humor, and his willingness to allow her to undertake different tasks in the police department – such as working with special operations to identify code violations.
“He gives everybody a chance to better themselves, and he mentors us,” Cardenas said.
Perhaps if the city’s next chief follows Cumming’s advice, the department will retain this confidence in their leader.
“Keep your sense of humor, work hard, and listen to people in the community – they have good advice,” Cumming suggested to the next chief, whoever that will be. “And listen to the department – if you’re talking all the time you’ll never hear them.”
Intern Ivan Silveira contributed to this report.
