During the month of February and into early March, we worked with Gayle Saunders and the Saunders Group to engage with the community regarding what they would like to see in the next chief of police. Engagement included a community survey, community workshops, and a series of meetings with community groups as well as institutional, educational, and religious leaders. Additionally, we have engaged with personnel from the police department to perform an internal survey and have been meeting with personnel from the department to hear about what’s important to them in the next chief.
The results of the community survey are expected in the form of a community report in the next week or two, and that report will be used to help craft a candidate profile. We are on track to begin advertising the position this month, with candidate interviews in April and May.
Our attention now turns to crafting the details of the interview process and the eventual community engagement process for finalist candidates. Throughout the selection process, input provided through our engagement efforts will be used to adjudicate candidates. I’ll be working with our search consultant and city leadership to plan through the interview stages, and am committed to a robust community input as we hone in on finalists.
As a reminder, resources will continue to be posted to bexley.org/chiefsearch. Another update will be emailed and posted online soon, which will include the community report once it’s finalized.
