A group of 18 people share the same task: Help find a new leader for Columbus police.
The search committee appointed by the mayor and City Council will meet to choose a select few applicants worthy of serious consideration for the permanent police chief position.
The group includes city officials, local pastors and media members, community activists, business leaders and a former Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office investigator. Each council member will choose one citizen to represent each ward on the committee.
With a total of 82 applications submitted, Mayor Robert Smith and Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong will first eliminate the unqualified candidates. The committee, which will include Armstrong and Smith, will follow by narrowing the number to a handful who spark interest.
Joining Armstrong and Smith on the committee are: Columbus Human Resources Director Pat Mitchell; Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor; Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box; Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem; Birney Imes, The Commercial Dispatch publisher; Steve Rogers, WCBI assignments editor; Robert “Uncle Bunky” Williams, a retired LCSO investigator from Ward 3; Sandra Jackson, a community activist from Ward 5; and Mark Smith, president of the CPI Group employment agency and Ward 6 resident.
The city has not released the names of the pastors, the third media member or the other three council choices from each ward.
Armstrong said the decision to include local residents and pastors is a positive one.
“I think it gives more community input, which is what the mayor wanted,” he said.
Box agreed and said it is “important for the community to have a part in selecting one of the most important offices.
“I think the mayor selected a good cross-section of the city,” he said.
Box said he is looking particularly for someone with supervisory experience who could effectively manage the department.
“I think they have 75 people that he”s responsible for and report to him,” he said. “That”s quite a job to manage that many people.”
The original application deadline was set for Sept. 1, but the city extended it another week. Qualified applicants are expected to have at least 10 years of experience, including five in a supervisor role. The position pays an annual salary of $70,000 to $75,000.
Selvain McQueen, former head of the Criminal Investigations Division, has held the role of interim police chief since the City Council fired Joseph St. John from the post in July. Smith confirmed that McQueen is one of the applicants. McQueen withdrew last week as the democratic nominee in the Lowndes County sheriff”s race.
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