By Mary O’KEEFE

Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis is retiring after over three decades of serving the City of Glendale. He will leave the department on Friday.

Povilaitis has spent most of his life as a Glendale police officer, so when asked how he plans to go from being connected 24/7 to having some real free time, he replied, “I hear it is an adjustment.”

Povilaitis said he decided to join the police force because he wanted to help people. His uncle was a state trooper and retired the year Povilaitis was sworn in, so there was a family connection. When talking to Povilaitis, though, one quickly discovers this was not just a job for him but a calling.

He affirmed that part of the reason he wanted to join the force was his uncle’s work but it was also his education through the Episcopal, Catholic and Jesuit faiths that taught him he could make a place a little bit better. He felt the way he could do that was through service as a police officer.

“I tell people there is no better profession on the face of the Earth,” he said. “I think it’s a noble profession.”

Over the years there have been a lot of changes in law enforcement from the addition of technology to community perception of the badge. Povilaitis has seen a lot of changes within GPD, one of those being the introduction of community policing.

“That’s really in step with the Glendale tradition of making sure that we have a strong relationship with the community,” he said. “We really serve to help the community.”

He added that law enforcement has gone through its challenges, especially challenging times the last couple of years.

“It has been a combination of things,” he said of what the department has faced. “There was a worldwide pandemic, civil unrest and a call for police reform.”

He said GPD has evolved in many ways, including the way it trains its officers and teaching how to work with other agencies on issues like unhoused individuals.

We can’t arrest our way out of the [unhoused] situation, he said.

Povilaitis said GPD works with many agencies on the issue of the unhoused including working directly with the Glendale Fire Dept. He is proud of the relationship GPD has with GFD.

“[The unhoused] … there is a piece of policing where there’s a lot of compassion,” he said. “It doesn’t [often] make the news as much but we deal with people [who] are facing very challenging circumstances.”

He added that policing involves more than just making arrests; there are many layers to the profession.

“Not many people are going to meet someone who is a victim of domestic violence, who has been beaten or see kids [who] have been abused. [Officers] see people who are economically disadvantaged [when] there’s no food in their fridge,” he said. “What has impressed me is that people of [GPD] have [compassion]. I have lost count of how many [officers/staff] have taken up collections for food for families [in need] or to replace a kid’s stolen bicycle.”

In addition, the Glendale Police Association has provided meals for families and during the holidays provided support to families in need.

“Police departments don’t create societal issues but they do have to deal with the result of societal issues, like the mental illness crisis,” he said. “Dealing with people with mental health issues has increased dramatically.”

He added officers are compassionate but if there is criminal activity they will deal with that issue. But, he added, in modern policing there are new approaches to the way these issues are addressed.

“A lot of times [we] are at the intersection of substance abuse and homelessness. We’re looking at how we solve problems like this, and we have to bring the right tools and resources – not only in the short term but in the longer term,” he said. “So what we’re launching this year is building community partnerships.”

These partnerships will look at several issues, from the unhoused to substance abuse including fentanyl.

Povilaitis praised his fellow officers and staff adding he feels Glendale police hire the best and the brightest.

“I’d like to sit here and tell you we’ve never had any bad behavior,” he said adding that simply because someone is given a badge it does not mean there are not issues; however, GPD has standards.

“The mass majority of people [at GPD] follow those standards but when somebody doesn’t follow the standards we have to address them. It is an important part of being in the profession and [maintaining] the trust of the community to address those issues,” he said.

The City has not yet announced who will follow Povilaitis as chief; however, Povilaitis has some words of wisdom for whoever becomes the new chief.

“I would say anybody set to become chief in Glendale is very fortunate. Over the three decades that I’ve been here this community has been very supportive,” he said. “[It’s important] making sure that we continue to engage with the community.”

Making certain the police continue to reach out to the community and organizations that serve the community needs to be a priority for the new chief, Povilaitis said.

Regarding how retirement looks to him, Povilaitis is a pilot and wants to do more flying including making a trip to Alaska. He is thinking about traveling (he hasn’t really done too much of that lately) and to having time to do some hiking around local mountain trails. He said he isn’t moving out of Glendale – this city is “in his heart” and he plans to stay. Education is very important to him, which is why he was on the board of the Glendale Education Foundation.

So to the questions of how he plans to stop looking at his phone 24/7, being ready to come into the office in case of an emergency and just always being at the ready?

“I don’t have an answer for you,” he said. “We will see how it goes.”