Hawthorne has welcomed a new chief of police.
Michael Ishii, who has headed the department on an interim basis since October 2018, was appointed to the permanent position on Jan. 22. He is succeeding former Chief Robert Fager.
Ishii first joined the department as a reserve officer in 1990. He has held a number of positions throughout the years, earning a promotion to captain in 2010. A year later, he co-founded the city’s “Coffee With a Cop” program which solidified his reputation as an advocate for community policing.
Ishii was born in Tokyo, Japan and was raised on a U.S. military base. He later earned his BA in communication and organizational communication from CSU Long Beach and an MS degree from CSU Dominguez Hills in negotiations and conflict management. He belongs to the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the California Police Chiefs’ Association, and the National Association of Asian American Law Enforcement Commanders.
As Chief, Ishii will oversee a department of 160 employees.