Wednesday, November 4, 2026
With the departure of Police Commissioner Thomas Sofield Sr. on Nov. 29 after nearly a decade at the helm of the Long Beach Police Department, City Manager Charles Theofan has assumed the title until Jan. 1, when the recently elected Democratic City Council majority will take control of City Hall.
In a Dec. 1 memo to members of the Police Department and other city department heads, Theofan said that, as acting police commissioner, he has turned the department’s day-to-day operations over to its highest-ranking member, Lt. Jack Radin, who now has “full authority.”
The Democrats have yet to announce their choice for police commissioner, and are currently searching for a city manager. According to the city charter, the city manager, or a mayor, may serve as police commissioner. Theofan has previously served as acting fire commissioner.
The announcement came a day after an emergency City Council meeting at which two resolutions were passed, one authorizing the city to borrow a $1.7 million tax anticipation note in order to pay its workers in time for Christmas, and another authorizing a $2.5 million budget note that would allow the city to meet its contractual obligations to pay outgoing police officials and other retirees amid a cash-flow shortage, which city officials attributed to “unforeseen” costs associated with Tropical Storm Irene.
The resolutions came on the heels of a Nov. 18 memo by City Comptroller Sandra Clarson, who said that the city has $3.9 million in cash in its operating bank accounts but was $1.3 million short of its Dec. 23 payroll.
Theofan said he expects to receive roughly $18 million in real estate tax revenue after Jan. 1, and reimbursements of more than $1 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency early next year that will put the city “back on course.”
