Beverly Hills police arrested the city’s former deputy fire chief this week in connection with a series of alleged vandalism incidents at city buildings and stalking.
Alfred Poirier, 63, who spent four years as the Beverly Hills deputy fire chief, was arrested Monday after Beverly Hills police tied him to a wave of vandalism incidents in the upscale communitytargeting city structures, Police Capt. Kevin Orth told The Times.
Poirier was taken into custody shortly before 8 p.m. and he was released on $150,000 bail shortly after midnight. Prosecutors have yet to file charges against the former deputy chief, as is common when an arrest makes bail.
Police detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding these incidents, but preliminary information indicates that Poirier posted computer-generated images at various city facilities on multiple occasions, according to a statement from the city provided to The Times.
Poirier was arrested on suspicion of stalking and vandalism. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 22, the police department said. He could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
Orth, citing the ongoing investigation, declined to give further specifics on the stalking accusation and whether any city employees were the targets of the former deputy chief’s alleged actions.
Poirier was hired in September 2022 and retired in April from the Beverly Hills Fire Department. In 2024, he earned nearly $400,000 in pay and benefits from his position.
Poirier is well known in the Southern California fire community, having previously served as the chief deputy of emergency operations for the Los Angeles Fire Department during 36 years with the agency.
At the Beverly Hills Fire Department, he oversaw Emergency Response Operations, the Safety and Training Division, and System Integration and served as the department’s second in command.
“Al is one of the most respected leaders in our industry,” said then-Beverly Hills Fire Chief Greg Barton, announcing his hire. “We received applications from dozens of sitting Fire Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs nationwide and I am thrilled to bring Al’s extensive background and expertise to our team and our community.”
At the Los Angeles Fire Department, Poirier oversaw a service area of more than 100 fire stations with 1,000 firefighters and paramedics on duty each day. His responsibilities included executive-level decision-making related to fire and emergency medical resource deployment, organizational policies and budget management.
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