Hiring the Next Police Chief
I have twice been honored to serve on the St. John’s Episcopal Church Rector Search Committee. This experience taught me that it is very important to spend time, up front, choosing qualified people to serve on a Search Committee, and then thinking about and clearly articulating the Committee’s priorities, including the essential qualities and qualifications the Committee is seeking in applicants.
The experience also taught me that the process can sometimes require more time than originally planned, and that it is important to take as much time as necessary to find the right fit. It is better to take “too long” than to hire the wrong candidate.
I do not support the Town’s current fast-tracked approach to hiring Westwood’s next Police Chief. This is an important position and the current Chief served in it for 13 years. I would like to see the Town name an Interim Chief as soon as possible, and to then take as much time as necessary to appoint a well-respected, impartial Search Committee and find the right candidate.
The Town has announced that it plans to follow an “internal first” search, meaning that it will first evaluate internal candidates for the position. If no suitable candidates are found, then the Town will post the position externally and review external candidates.
I do not support this approach. I believe the Town should cast as wide a net as possible to attract as many qualified candidates as possible. This will require conducting a nationwide search and allowing sufficient time for this search to yield an adequate number of qualified applicants to choose from. Qualified internal candidates will be evaluated alongside qualified external candidates.
I question whether the Town’s approach is in compliance with Town Bylaws, copied here:
§ 80-24 Notice of availability of position.
Prior to making an appointment, the Selectmen shall cause notice of the availability of the position to be posted in places in the Town where notices to employees are generally posted and to be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town and in such other publications as can be reasonably expected to give notice to qualified applicants.
§ 80-25 Appointment.
At least 60 days after publication of the first notice of the availability of the position, the appointment shall be made by the Board of Selectmen in accordance with the qualifications and procedures on file with the Town Clerk, except that one or more of the qualifications or procedures may be waived by the Board of Selectmen.
I believe the approach outlined in the Bylaws is intended to lead to the hiring of the most talented and qualified Chief, which equally serves the public and the officers in the department.