Assistant Chief Lynne Johnson will take over as the Palo Alto Police Department’s first female chief when Pat Dwyer resigns from the position on May 18. Her appointment immediately followed Dwyer’s resignation announcement on Feb. 4.

The transition will most likely be smooth, although her job may get bumpy given the current economic situation. “One of my first challenges as chief will be to take the department through the transitions and ramifications of the budget situation,” Johnson said.

The city’s $9 million budget deficit will impact all departments and possibly make layoffs inevitable. “There will definitely be impacts,” she said. “The police department will not be untouchable.”

According to Johnson, this is definitely “the worst [budget] situation” she has encountered in her career. The last major cut came in 1980, when a sergeant, three officers, and three civilian service officers were laid off.

Johnson also has plans regarding homeland security. Despite the budget cuts, people in the police, fire, public works, and utilities departments will continue to undergo training exercises. “We just cannot ignore the fact that we need to be prepared,” she said.

Johnson will also be targeting issues such as teen drinking and drug abuse, in coordination with PAUSD superintendent Mary Frances Callan. Johnson believes that the first thing that needs to be done is better educate parents. She considers this a priority because the parents are the most effective at counseling their own children.

The police department is also continuing its search for a new headquarters, which Dwyer said he had failed to achieve for a variety of reasons. Johnson said that she will make sure that “it doesn’t get deep-sixed…it would be foolish to stop the design process right now.” The city of Palo Alto has invested $1.2 million in this project since its proposal.

Johnson’s credentials go all the way to 1975. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Jose State, Johnson became the eighth female officer in the Palo Alto Police — the only department that was hiring females back then.

Since then, she has served continuously for 28 years and climbed the ranks from officer to sergeant, then lieutenant, captain, and finally to assistant chief in 1988.

Pat Dwyer beat her out for the position in 1998, a situation that she handled peaceably. However, Johnson said, “To reach the chief’s job has been a dream of mine for a long time.”

Last year, Johnson was awarded the Athena Award, an annual recognition given by the Chamber of Commerce for females who “serve as a role model”.