As Salinas city manager narrows in on a finalist for police chief, internal candidate John Murray is out of the running.

John Murray has made no secret of his ambition to oversee the Salinas Police Department. The 28-year veteran of SPD moved up through the ranks, most recently to the position of acting chief of police after former chief Roberto Filice resigned in January. 

The City retained the firm Bob Murray & Associates to recruit for the permanent chief position, with a deadline to apply in August. While the application period was open, hundreds of community members completed a survey on what they hoped to see in a new chief: One common theme among respondents was they hoped it would be someone local and familiar with Salinas. 

The team from Bob Murray narrowed down a list of finalists to pass along to City Manager Rene Mendez to decide on the final hire. While Mendez is not yet saying who his top choice is—a background check process is now underway on one individual, he confirms—that choice is not Murray. (It is also not known whether the finalist for the job is local to the area.) 

The realization that the acting chief is not on track to get the top job has prompted a change of leadership. On Monday, Sept. 30, Mendez announced Cmdr. Danny Warner would take over as acting chief and Murray would be reassigned to his old job as assistant chief. 

Murray, however, has been out of the office since that announcement on Sept. 30.

“Acting Chief Murray has done an excellent job filling the shoes of our former chief," Warner said in a statement. "As I step into this new role, I do so knowing the city of Salinas and the Salinas Police Department continue to be in good hands. I am committed to working closely with the mayor’s team, city leaders, the community, our commanders and members of SPD to move forward and positively impact public safety during this temporary period until a permanent chief is named."