sa国际传媒官网网页入口

It seems like sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Department Chief Harold Medina could want to stick around longer than originally anticipated.

His original retirement plan for December 2025 is up in the air, Medina told the Journal in a sit-down interview Thursday.

鈥淭here are a lot of things I want to finish accomplishing,鈥� Medina said.

It鈥檚 a switch from when sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Mayor Tim Keller told the Journal in November that Medina would likely retire soon, though Medina wasn鈥檛 present for that interview.

鈥淭he idea is at the end of the term, he wants to retire, and he鈥檚 earned it. He鈥檚 several years past his PERA (which stands for Public Employees Retirement Association), but we鈥檒l see,鈥� Keller, who is up for reelection in 2025, said in November.

The mayor 鈥� who happened to leave around then for a dentist appointment, and 鈥渘ot because you just asked that,鈥� he said jokingly 鈥� sat in on Thursday鈥檚 interview and said the city has a great pool of potential APD chief successors to pull from whenever needed, no matter who the mayor is.

Keller鈥檚 administration has been through multiple chief searches, he pointed out, and 鈥渋t鈥檚 not good governance to not think about transition.鈥�

The mayor added, 鈥淚鈥檓 very prepared to walk through that and lead the department through an interim transition.鈥�

In terms of ticking boxes off his to-do list before he retires, Medina specifically pointed to work he鈥檚 done with the U.S. Department of Justice in with use-of-force standards after it was found to be violating people鈥檚 civil rights and using excessive force in 2014 under Chief Ray Schultz.

Medina鈥檚 predecessors, Gorden Eden and Mike Geier, also worked with the DOJ.

Medina just battled his way out of 鈥渢he morale issue,鈥� he said, and he doesn鈥檛 want another chief to have to go back. He also said he wants crime rates to be trending in the right direction.

Medina added that he鈥檚 boosted morale in the department despite what critics, including a city councilor, say. Former APD officer and City Councilor Louie Sanchez often criticizes the department and calls for Medina鈥檚 job at council meetings.

Sanchez did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The chief鈥檚 possible decision to keep his post comes after a year of headlines that began in January. Then, a text obtained by nonprofit news outlet City Desk became public in which he discussed plans to 鈥� but be prepared for the next complaint鈥� with the mayor. Medina said Thursday the text was taken out of context and he uses the term 鈥渉ammer鈥� often.

It continued in February, when the FBI opened a probe into corruption within the department鈥檚 DWI unit. Later in the month, Medina crashed into a vintage Ford Mustang fleeing gunfire on his way to a news conference in the International District. He afterward. The driver by the crash.

鈥淚 want this clear 鈥� I still have a passion for this job,鈥� Medina told the Journal on Thursday. 鈥淚 still love this job every day.鈥�

Medina has built 鈥渁 great bench,鈥� Keller said, including with APD Deputy Chief Cecily Barker 鈥� for whom Medina voiced support for becoming the next APD chief.

APD has never had a female police chief.

Though Medina doesn鈥檛 have a say in who takes over the role next 鈥� the mayor, with City Council approval, appoints police and fire chiefs 鈥� he said Barker has been trained in leadership.

鈥淚 put 30 years into this department, and if there is a strong transition for me to (retire), then yes, (I will),鈥� Medina said. 鈥淚 need to see where the department is. There鈥檚 so many unknowns.鈥�

Medina鈥檚 visit to the Journal came exactly a month after sa国际传媒官网网页入口 voters approved an amendment to the city鈥檚 charter that allows the City Council to fire police and fire chiefs without cause on a 7-2 vote.

Keller argues that it increases his power as mayor, but on Election Night, in a news release, his office said the charter amendments may have to be reviewed by the courts because they weren鈥檛 written clearly enough for voters. He said Thursday his office wasn鈥檛 planning on challenging it in court because 鈥渋t鈥檚 the city who actually put that on there.鈥�

Medina said he likes the amendment because if he鈥檚 voted out, he gets paid.

鈥淣FL coaches, college coaches, when they鈥檙e released before their contract is good, they get a nice, big paycheck. I think the council blundered this,鈥� Medina said.

While it seems like Medina might not retire on the timeline initially thought, some still think he won鈥檛 be the police chief come 2026.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 up for a new mayor to decide, and I don鈥檛 think Keller is going to be the next mayor,鈥� City Council President Dan Lewis told the Journal on Thursday, though he told Keller 鈥測ou鈥檙e probably going to get reelected鈥� in texts obtained by the Journal in October.

While Medina voiced his ambitions Thursday to remain the head of the department, he did not entirely rule out the possibility of retirement by December 2025.

鈥淭ime will tell,鈥� Medina said.