George Crum named permanent Cathedral City Police Chief

Interim Cathedral City Police Chief George Crum will officially come out of retirement after accepting a permanent role as the city's new police chief.

“I feel it is my duty to leave retirement and come back to Cathedral City as we face these unprecedented times,” Chief Crum said. “The men and women who work for the Cathedral City Police Department are the finest individuals you can have to protect and serve our residents, businesses and visitors.”

Crum will immediately begin his new role. He will earn an annual salary of $211,331.54, the same salary he had before retiring.

Crum previously served as Cathedral City’s police chief from 2014 until his retirement in 2017. He has more than 30-years of law enforcement experience.

He returned on February 24, 2020 to fill the role of interim police chief when deputy and acting police chief Anthony Yoakum took a position with the city of Beaumont. Yoakum took the position as it was closer to his home.

“We are very excited to have Police Chief Crum return to Cathedral City,” stated City Manager Charlie McClendon. “While our police chief for three years, he energized the department, created great community relations, and instituted policies that not only helped lower our crime rate, but addressed complex issues like homelessness.”

Cathedral City has not had a permanent police chief since then Chief Travis Walker was placed on paid administrative leave on May 2, 2019. Walker accused of sexual harassment and battery by Cathedral City Police Department Dispatcher Loran Candelas.

Watch: I-Team looks into the accusations (Nov. 2019)

Walker and Cathedral City reached a mutual separation of employment in Nov. 2019.

Read: Travis Walker no longer employed by Cathedral City

A civil suit filed by Candelas remains ongoing.