Internal sources, public records and whistleblower claims point to growing concerns over leadership decisions, promotional practices, executive overtime and transparency within the department.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – What began as a leadership transition in early 2023 has, according to multiple sources within the Simi Valley Police Department, become something far more serious: a growing internal belief that authority has become concentrated among a small group of senior leaders, while confidence in leadership, oversight and the systems meant to ensure fairness has steadily eroded.
Interviews with department personnel and a review of public records point to an agency increasingly defined, in the view of multiple sources, by favoritism in promotions, questionable executive scheduling and overtime practices, and complaints that were reportedly discouraged rather than independently reviewed. Officers described a widening disconnect between those at the top and the line-level personnel who perform the department’s day-to-day public safety work.
Across interviews, a consistent theme emerged. Multiple officers described a belief that key decisions involving promotions, scheduling and internal oversight increasingly benefit those in positions of power, while the needs and concerns of rank-and-file personnel are pushed aside. The result, they said, has been a steady erosion of morale and a growing loss of trust in the systems meant to ensure fairness and accountability.
Leadership Changes and Early Concerns
In January 2023, shortly after taking command, Chief Charles “Steve” Shorts elevated John Adamczyk and Lincoln Purcell to Acting Assistant Chief positions. At the time, both had served as Commanders for just over a year. Multiple sources described the speed of those appointments as highly unusual compared with long-standing departmental practices.
Around the same time, the department’s administrative offices were secured in a way that marked a sharp departure from prior practice. Offices that had historically been accessible were locked, and a camera and doorbell system was installed. The department’s long-standing open door policy was discontinued. Former Chief David Livingstone has stated he advised against the change. Officers described the move as more than symbolic, saying it reflected a leadership structure that was becoming increasingly insulated from rank-and-file personnel.
In April 2023, Adamczyk and Purcell were permanently appointed as Assistant Chiefs. The promotions drew additional scrutiny because Chief Shorts had previously emphasized higher education as an important factor in advancement. According to department sources, Purcell holds a bachelor’s degree, while Adamczyk does not have a college education. Both were promoted over more senior candidates, including then-Commander Ritchie Lew, the department’s longest-serving Commander at the time. Officers interviewed described the outcome as inconsistent with those stated standards.
Questions also surfaced regarding Purcell’s residency. According to multiple sources and supported by public records, Purcell is a resident of Idaho. Several officers questioned how an individual could serve in the department’s second-highest command position while not residing in California, raising broader concerns about leadership presence, accessibility and accountability.
Concerns about executive practices soon followed. Public payroll data reflects unusually high overtime earnings for Assistant Chiefs compared with similar agencies, drawing scrutiny both inside the department and beyond it.
According to multiple sources, Purcell was permitted to work a schedule aligned with out-of-state travel, raising internal questions about how travel time was accounted for and whether city resources were being used for commuting purposes. Sources also confirmed that he used a city-owned vehicle for travel to and from the airport, a practice that drew additional scrutiny among personnel already questioning the arrangement.
Assistant Chief Adamczyk reportedly worked a four-day schedule and was authorized to work additional hours to provide executive coverage on days when no other Assistant Chief was scheduled. Officers described that arrangement as uncommon for an executive-level position. Several sources expressed concern that the structure of these schedules may have contributed to elevated overtime earnings, though no formal findings regarding policy violations have been publicly released.
Promotion Practices and Internal Concerns
In July 2023, questions about fairness in promotions intensified when Ryan Brennan and Gene Colato were promoted to Sergeant. Multiple sources described the process as effectively predetermined. Brennan is reported to have a long-standing personal relationship with Assistant Chief Purcell, raising concerns among some officers about impartiality. Those concerns deepened when it was later confirmed that Purcell participated in Brennan’s oral boards for both Sergeant and later Commander.
By late 2023 and early 2024, concerns regarding executive overtime and scheduling practices had escalated further. According to multiple sources, a whistleblower brought those concerns to City Hall. Sources state the information was subsequently relayed back to the Chief’s Office and that the individual was instructed not to further discuss Assistant Chief overtime. No publicly disclosed independent investigation or whistleblower findings have been released.
For many officers, that episode became a turning point. Rather than reinforcing confidence that complaints would be reviewed independently, several sources said it deepened the perception that sensitive internal concerns were being routed back through the very leadership structure being questioned.
In February 2025, additional promotions continued to fuel skepticism among some personnel. Chris Martin was promoted to Sergeant and Bryan Samples was promoted to Commander. Officers described both selections as reinforcing a perception that alignment with leadership carried significant weight.
In September 2025, David Stringer was promoted to Sergeant. Multiple sources indicated it was widely understood prior to the formal process that he was the leading candidate. While no explicit statement was made, sources described what they characterized as a “wink and nod” dynamic that signaled the likely outcome in advance, further contributing to concerns about the integrity of the promotional process.
In November 2025, Brennan was promoted to Commander after the department modified minimum time-in-rank requirements. Several officers stated they believed the policy change was implemented to facilitate that promotion. The department has not publicly addressed the reasoning behind the change.
Public Scrutiny, Incidents and Oversight Questions
Public scrutiny increased in June 2025 when a letter published in the Simi Valley Acorn called for an independent audit of the department, citing concerns over Assistant Chief overtime expenditures.
In July 2025, Commander Ritchie Lew retired and later joined the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff. Law enforcement professionals interviewed described such a transition as uncommon, prompting internal speculation about the circumstances surrounding his departure, though no official explanation has been made public.
In August 2025, a violent assault outside the Regal Plaza movie theater drew further attention. One of the suspects was identified as the son of Sergeant Gene Colato. Following threats and community reaction, police protection was provided to Colato’s residence. Department sources estimate that the associated overtime costs exceeded $60,000.
Several officers questioned the decision and the level of resources allocated, noting that the response was viewed by some within the department as inconsistent with how similar situations are typically handled. Some personnel described a perception that individuals seen as aligned with department leadership receive different consideration in high-profile incidents.
Later in 2025, Commander Bryan Samples was accused by a female employee of sexual harassment and is reportedly under investigation. According to department sources, Samples has not been placed on administrative leave and continues to supervise female personnel. No public statement has been issued explaining interim safeguards.
Efforts to obtain additional information have also reportedly been met with resistance. Multiple California Public Records Act requests seeking overtime data and related records have been delayed or denied, according to requesters. The City Clerk’s Office, which handles such requests, operates under the authority of the City Manager, who is described by department sources as a close ally of Assistant Chief Purcell.
Above: CRPA requests and e-mails with the Simi Valley City Clerk in February 2026
Morale and Broader Impact
Across interviews, officers consistently described declining morale within the department. Many stated that line-level personnel continue to carry the daily public safety workload while executive leadership operates with broad discretion and limited external scrutiny. Several described an agency in which the people doing the day-to-day work increasingly feel disconnected from, and unsupported by, the leadership above them.
For many, the concern is no longer tied to any single promotion, schedule or controversy. It is the cumulative pattern that has caused the greatest damage: a concentration of influence at the top, a lack of visible independent oversight and a growing belief among some personnel that the system is no longer operating on the basis of fairness or merit.
Above: A department wide e-mail sent out in 2025
Taken together, those concerns have led some within the department to question whether sufficient safeguards exist to ensure transparency, consistency and accountability in leadership decisions.
For many inside the agency, however, that question no longer feels unresolved.
Multiple officers described a belief that confidence in those systems has already been significantly damaged, and that restoring trust may prove far more difficult than maintaining it.
