Undersheriff steps in as interim Tiburon chief amid police review

Jamie Scardina knows he’s stepping into the role of Tiburon’s interim police chief during a divisive time, as the community continues to deal with the fallout over last month’s tense interaction between police and the Black owner of downtown clothing store Yema. Scardina, Marin County’s undersheriff and a former officer in Tiburon, was hired to temporarily take over for Chief Michael Cronin, who last week announced his retirement effective Sept. 13. Though town officials have said Cronin, who held the top police job in Tiburon for 13 years, had been planning to retire for some time, the move came amid increased scrutiny of Cronin’s leadership and the Tiburon Police Department’s handling of the early morning Aug. 21 interaction at Yema, owned by Tiburon residents Yema Khalif and Hawi Awash.

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