Brian Barner has been reinstated as Redding police chief, Mayor Mike Littau announced Jan. 5 on Facebook.
“There has been a positive development regarding the Redding Police Chief returning to work. It’s great to see community appreciation for patience and understanding during potentially sensitive situations. If you have any specific questions or need further information about this update, feel free to privately reach out,” said Littau in his post.
When asked to reveal further details regarding Barner’s administrative leave and reappointment, Littau said he “can’t comment on that.”
The reinstatement comes on the heels of an abrupt and unexplained announcement of Barner’s leave from the city manager’s office. Capt. Brian Cole was named acting chief of police during Barner’s leave.
“As Interim City Manager, I have appointed Captain Brian Cole as Acting Chief of the Redding Police Department. Captain Cole will have full signing authority during this time period,” said a memo distributed to the department’s personnel on Dec. 30 from Interim City Manager Kari Kibler that was sent to the Record Searchlight on the afternoon of Dec. 31.
Drew Askeland covers Redding and Shasta County government issues, as well as anything else that needs reporting for the Record Searchlight and USA Today Network. Reach him at drew.askeland@redding.com or (530) 225-8247. Please subscribe today to support our newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Brian Barner back as Redding police chief after short leave
Reporting by Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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