by Lily Leung - Sept. 25, 2009 The Arizona Republic

The search for a new Youngtown police chief will start once the town completes an officer-sparked review on the embattled agency.

Kimberly Johnson, the agency's first female police chief, was fired Wednesday, ending a 14-month tenure. She could not be reached for comment.

Town Manager Lloyce Robinsondeclined to give a reason for the firing, only saying "Kimberly Johnson did not meet all of the town's expectations for chief of police."

Johnson's brief time heading the police department was plagued by a series of issues: two morale audits, the contested firing of a detective, and a letter of no confidence in the chief that was signed by all nine of Youngtown's officers.

The members of Youngtown Police Services signed the statement, in which they alleged a hostile working environment, lack of leadership and emotional instability as characteristics of management by the chief.

Youngtown hired a company to conduct a morale survey in which Johnson denied the allegations. The auditor recommended morale-building exercises as a remedy.

The most recent call for an assessment was spurred by "some issues and concerns" from police personnel, Robinson said. Representatives from the International City/County Management Association will start the review next week. The Fraternal Order of Police had been working with Youngtown officers for more than a year, ironing out issues dealing with the "fair treatment of the officers," said Jim Mann, the labor union's Arizona executive director.

A key example, Mann said, was the firing of Ed Siemen, a cancer-stricken detective who fractured his back while arresting a child molester and who had hoped for a disability retirement. The town later admitted that it took too long processing his disability papers, and Siemen was recently reinstated and approved to receive a pension.

Until the town finds a new chief, Lt. Duren Robertson, the second-in-command, will take over.