ANTIOCH — Brian Addington, the city’s former interim police chief, will be working as a consultant to provide support and guidance to enhance the Antioch Police Department’s efficiency and effectiveness following a deal with federal authorities regarding oversight of the force.
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The Antioch City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a consultant services agreement not exceeding $225,000 between the city and WBA Consulting and Investigative Services, a company founded by Addington in 2022, to provide services to the city until the end of June. Councilmembers Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson were absent from the meeting.
The service agreement was not put to bid.
Antioch Municipal Code states that any contract over $50,000 requires a request for a proposal or a request for a quote. However, another code states that the city may dispense with bidding procedures for purchasing goods or services or proposal procedures for professional services in cases of emergency, sole or limited source, and cooperative purchasing.
City Manager Bessie Marie Scott said the agreement is a sole source contract for two former police executives – Addington and former interim captain Patrick Wentz — to remain on to help the Antioch Police Department with several key areas.
Those key areas include police disciplinary matters, policy review and implementation, community engagement, crime reduction strategies, special projects, and assistance to Acting Police Chief Joe Vigil.
“So the staff report asks that this sole source be recognized because it is unique in terms of his (Addington’s) particular ability to understand the dynamics and needs of the Antioch Police Department,” said Scott.
Addington, who had re-retired as Antioch’s interim police chief last week, will also be helping the city with compliance efforts identified as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to increase police oversight — a significant step forward as the police department seeks to move past scandals involving racism and allegations of criminal activity within its ranks.
The staff report noted that Antioch needs its own expert familiar with the state’s law enforcement and police practices.
“The city needs a consultant that can step into the position with little to no time for learning the issues that have plagued the department, the current interventions in place to improve effectiveness, public trust, and morale, and ensure constitutional policing in Antioch, as well as have the ability to provide guidance immediately,” noted the report.
Addington retired as Pittsburg’s police chief in May 2022 but remained as the interim chief for several months until Capt. Steven Albanese was sworn in just a month later. Addington was appointed in early 2024 as Antioch’s interim chief amid FBI investigations involving racism and alleged corruption charges. He served for almost 11 months in Antioch.
Addington told this news organization that hiring consultants like himself and Wentz would allow Vigil and his team to concentrate on the police department’s day-to-day operations, conducting community engagements and developing crime reduction strategies.
“My role as a consultant is not to do investigations. We’ve established a team of outside investigators that we use, so I will have absolutely no say in that,” said Addington. “Where I could lend some expertise is, depending on the investigation results, what would be the appropriate levels of disciplinary (actions).”
Addington said the final decision on such disciplinary actions rests with the police chief.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, the Antioch City Council was also updated on the search for a permanent police chief that is being conducted by recruiting firm Bob Hall and Associates.
Lead recruiter Joe Gorton said his team, which includes former police chiefs, city managers, and law enforcement experts, will hold community-wide feedback forums and seek feedback from stakeholders and the city council during the recruitment process.
Gorton said his firm aims to finalize the hiring sometime in April.
“Once the new chief is selected, the city has a bunch of human resources (process) and background investigations to occur before a new chief starts,” said Gorton. “But we expect April (or) May (as the) timeframe for bringing on a new chief, depending on how the background (check) goes and the amount of notice (period) they’re required to give their former agency, assuming it comes from a different agency.”
Councilmembers and residents weighed in on their key criteria for the new chief and emphasized that the candidate should focus on community engagement, transparency, and accountability. They also want a candidate with a crisis management background and familiarity with handling federal and state investigative bodies, such as the DOJ.
Councilmember Donald P. Freitas said he is looking for a candidate who can communicate with traditional service clubs, faith-based organizations, and residents who “feel maligned” in the community.
“We need to hear from everyone, and we also need to have somebody who is process-driven. Just hearing these issues doesn’t solve them,” said Freitas. “(We need) somebody who can hear, investigate (and) come back with workable solutions.”
Freitas said the next police chief must be able to handle diversity and inclusion and provide training and education for his officers to protect and serve the community better.
Mayor Ron Bernal said he is looking for a police chief who is data-driven in order to measure the results of the initiatives rolled out by the department.
“I like somebody who has some experience with gun violence and with division in a community before. Ideally, somebody who’s dealt with a community of similar size like Antioch but understands the dynamic of where we are in the Bay Area,” said Bernal. “There’s a lot of uniqueness to Antioch. I believe this person will come in and have the opportunity to build one of the best police departments in the country.”
