City looking for permanent chief
By John Joyce
Published in News on January 26, 2016 1:46 PM
Goldsboro City Manager Scott Stevens will in the coming weeks begin reviewing the 28 applications submitted during the city's search for a police chief.
Interim police Chief Michael West will be considered, he said.
Over the next two to three weeks, Stevens will comb through the applications received -- the deadline to apply passed Jan. 15 -- and whittle the candidate number down to between six and eight.
"I am glad to have a good number to select from," he said.
Then, toward the end of February, a committee of senior-ranking law enforcement officials from area departments, department heads from the Goldsboro police and other city departments, and selected members of the community, will put the top candidates through a battery of tests. Stevens said the process is going to be the same as when he hired the city's last police chief, Jeff Stewart, who retired in June 2015.
"I want someone who is a good fit. I have in mind what I would like, and I think, while that is someone who is technically proficient, I think any good police chief has to know the community," Stevens said.
That does not necessarily mean the candidate has to be from Goldsboro or Wayne County. The job search was open to applicants from across the country.
Stevens said he believes an outsider could potentially learn the community. He is going to take his time and will consider the best candidates from the batch of applications, some of whom might be local and others who might be from out of town.
"I want someone who is committed to being here for a number of years. And communication is important. Not just within the department and with the city, but within the community as well. I think we need somebody who can communicate well with everybody," Stevens said.
So far, the only candidate identified in the job search is West, who was asked by Stevens to serve as interim chief after Stewart retired. West has 23 years in law enforcement -- all served with Goldsboro -- and was serving as the head of the department's patrol division prior to filling the vacated role.
Stevens said West did apply and will be considered equally among the other candidates. West took the position on a temporary basis with the understanding that Stevens would be evaluating him and that he ought to be evaluating the job for himself to see if it was a good fit for he and his family.
Stevens indicated he was satisfied with the job West has been doing so far. And that, along with the day-to-day operations that come with being the city manager -- and the fact the city is preparing for its upcoming annual retreat -- has allowed Stevens to take his time with finding a permanent police chief.
"If I were uncomfortable, I would work faster," he said.