UPDATE: 10:09 a.m.
Calexico's acting city manager issued a press release Tuesday saying police chief Michael Bostic was placed on administrative leave until Dec. 5 "when his services will formally cease."
Acting city manager Nick Fenley said Bostic acquired the title of police chief without the approval of the city council.
"In the interest of transparency and in conformity with best practices, the City decided to end Mr. Bostic's services and move forward with the formal recruitment of a true, permanent Chief of Police," he said in the press release.
Original story:
Calexico’s police chief was fired Monday, about a year after he was appointed to clean up the department, said city councilwoman Maritza Hurtado.
Neither Bostic nor Calexico’s acting city manager, Nick Fenley, immediately responded to requests for comment.
The step comes a month after the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority voted to cancel the city’s insurance coverage due to political instability, specifically the high rate of turnover for management positions.
The FBI has been investigating the Calexico Police Department since last fall. In April, Bostic asked the U.S. Department of Justice for help monitoring and training the police force. That audit is also ongoing.
Bostic had fired seven police officers as a result of an internal investigation. They filed a federal lawsuit against him this summer.
Councilwoman Hurtado called it “a sad day in Calexico.”
In a Facebook post, she wrote:
“Fenley says he received orders from the council, but I will publicly state that this decision was not shared with the full council.”
