Police Chief Finalists Narrowed To Three Remaining Candidates From Outside The Region; Pupo Hopes To Make Decision In June

Spokane’s next police chief will be a true outsider if City Manager Bill Pupo picks one of the names off his short list of candidates.

The finalists come not only from outside the ranks of the Spokane Police Department, but from outside the Northwest.

Pupo announced Tuesday that Alan Chertok of Newport News, Va., Paul Conner of Las Vegas and John Robertson of Yorba Linda, Calif., made the final cut for the $87,000-a-year job.

The position became vacant this spring when Terry Mangan retired after 11 years to take a job with the FBI.

The trio was culled from six semifinalists put through a three-day battery of interviews, public hearings and other exercises last week.

That group included Spokane County Undersheriff Mike Aubrey and Whitman County Sheriff Steve Tomson, both Spokane natives. Joy Citta, a captain with the police department in Lincoln, Neb., and the only woman to apply for the job, rounded out the semifinalists.

Pupo said he wasn’t concerned that the finalists are from outside the region.

“When you conduct a national search, that’s what you get,” he said.

The remaining candidates are all veteran law enforcement officers who said Tuesday they are honored to be in the running.

They praised Spokane’s community-oriented policing program and said they would continue to make it the department’s No. 1 priority if hired.

“They’ve got volunteers coming out of the woodwork, and 10 COP shops,” said Chertok, a 45-year-old major in charge of administrative affairs for the Newport News Police Department. “We’d love to have 10 COP shops.”

The finalists also said they are impressed with Spokane’s command staff, including acting Chief Roger Bragdon, who applied for the top job but was eliminated because he doesn’t have a bachelor’s degree.

“It’s a very strong management staff, and they work as a team,” said the 47-year-old Robertson, who was fired earlier this year from the chief’s job in Orange, Calif. “I believe in that team approach. I like to have as much input as possible.”

Robertson was fired after being accused of creating a hostile work environment and improperly investigating city council members during a garbage contract controversy.

He has said he did nothing wrong and was fired by spiteful council members.

The three finalists also enumerated some areas they think need work within the department.

Conner said it was apparent during his visit that the department needs to work harder on its relationship with Spokane’s minority communities.

“There is some more building to do there,” said the 50-year-old Conner, deputy chief with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Robertson, a self-described fiscal conservative, said he would look for ways to cut costs, especially on grant proposals that require the department to pay substantial matching funds.

Chertok said one of his first projects would be to analyze the department’s staffing to see if personnel are being used efficiently.

“It appears to me that an analysis needs to be done,” he said.

1. WHAT’S NEXT Later this month, City Manager Bill Pupo will visit the home cities of the finalists to conduct extensive interviews. He will be accompanied by City Councilman Jeff Colliton, Assistant City Manager Dorothy Webster, police Capt. Al Odenthal and Cpl. Cliff Walter. Pupo hopes to select the new chief by the end of June.

2. THE THREE FINALISTS The city of Spokane has chosen three finalists for the position of police chief. Here is a quick look at the three:

ALAN CHERTOK Commander, Administrative Command Newport News, Va. Resume: 45 years old…23 years in law enforcement. Joined Newport News force in 1995…In charge of department’s $27.7 million budget and supervising records, communications and crime analysis, among other duties. Academic background: Bachelor’s degree with a dual major in psychology and sociology from Salisbury State College in Maryland. Master’s in criminal justice from University of Baltimore. Master’s in management and supervision from Central Michigan University. Fulbright Fellow in police studies at Staffordshire University in Stafford, England. Special skills: Legislative liaison to Virginia General Assembly…certified pilot, scuba diver and crisis negotiator.

PAUL CONNER Deputy Chief/Investigative Services Division Las Vegas Resume: 50 years old…26 years with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department…Has supervised detective bureau, Clark County Detention Center and human resources division…In charge of department’s Investigative Support Division, with annual budget of $36 million. Academic background: Bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s in public administration from University of Nevada-Las Vegas…Graduate of FBI National Academy and Senior Management Institute for Police. Special assignments: Chairman, department’s Use of Force Board…Supervises Neighborhood Narcotics Suppression Program, which responds to citizen complaints about drug dealers.

JOHN ROBERTSON Former Chief of Orange, Calif. Yorba Linda, Calif. Resume: Fired as Orange chief in March 1998 after serving since June 1992…Implemented community-oriented policing, including bike patrol unit, truancy center and citizen volunteers…Assigned officers to schools and transformed gang intelligence squad into gang-suppression unit. Academic background: Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University-Fullerton and master’s in public administration from California State University-Long Beach…Graduate, FBI National Academy. Awards: Distinguished Community Service Award from YMCA; Volunteer of the Year from YWCA; Award of Recognition from Orange County Human Relations Commission.