Retiring police chief
helped modernize the force
By Monica Mendoza
Times Staff Writer
Credited with
giving Pleasanton a reputation of being tough on crime,
Bill Eastman's 18-year run comes to a close Dec. 31
Pleasanton - Bill Eastman is a cop's cop whose philosophies have kept the crime rate low and who will be missed, Pleasanton police and city officials said.
Eastman, who is not without his critics, announced this week that he will retire as police chief effective Dec. 31.
It came as a surprise to officers who have served under Eastman during his 18 years as Pleasanton's chief, said Craig Eicher, president of the Police Officers' Association.
"We'll be real sorry to see him leave," Eicher said. "It's the end of an era."
Eastman, 58, came to Pleasanton with the goal of making the police force more professional, said City Manager Deborah Acosta.
"He's done that." she said. "He has created a reputation that Pleasanton is tough on crime."
Acosta will work with a recruitment firm to conduct a nationwide search for Eastman's replacement. In the next two weeks she will ask members of commissions and community groups to list their ideal attributes in a police chief. She plans to fill the post By August, she said.
Eastman, who was hospitalized in August with chest pains, said health is not a factor in his decision to retire.
"It's just time," he said.
Eastman is credited with modernizing the police force, Acosta said. He started a local DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for youths and the K-9 program, which uses trained police dogs for investigations.
Under his command, the department grew from 30 officers to 80. And he always went to bat for the rank and file, Eicher said. He lobbied City Hall for new radios, an addition to the police building, and new radios in squad cars.
"That put us into the 20th century," he said.
He's a hard-working law enforcer who "deserves to retire," said Capt. Gary Tollefson, who has worked with Eastman since he was named chief. "He has his beliefs and he stuck to them."
Mandatory HIV testing for boxers was one of them. While serving on the State Athletic Commission from 1992 to 1997, Eastman pushed for mandatory HIV testing of the state's licensed boxers. It wasn't until a Las Vegas professional bout was stopped in 1996 because one boxer tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, that his effort gained support. That year the California Legislature mandated HIV testing.
"I'm serious when I say my leadership style is no mystery'" Eastman said. "What you see is what you get."
Eastman faced down charges last year that he discriminated against an officer based upon race. Jeffery Anadon, a former lieutenant in the department, was demoted after he admitted he had an affair with a woman who was a city-paid informant.
Anadon, who is of Mexican and Filipino decent, claimed the demotion was racially based. That claim was rejected by a jury. However, the jury did find that Eastman had retaliated against Anadon and awarded him $100,000 in emotional damages.
Eastman, who has served on the Governor's Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, is proud of the city's record. Overall, the crime rate dipped slightly in 1998 over the previous year. Adult arrests were down by 5 percent, but juvenile arrests were up 14 percent.
Eastman, who was born in St. Louis, began his career in Culver City, where during his 15 years there he rose to the rank of captain. He said his last year as Pleasanton's chief will be focused on making a smooth transition to the new chief.
After that, he plans to enjoy being a private citizen, he said.
"And I'll let my wife be my only critic," he said.
The Valley Times - Saturday, January 30, 1999