New Police Chief Seeking Public Input In/Around: Cheney

Thu., Oct. 7, 1999

Carlos Acevedo Staff Writer

Cheney’s new police chief, Greg Lopes, isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination.

Lopes, confirmed by a unanimous vote of the City Council Sept. 28, has been interim chief for six months since former Chief Jerry Gardner retired.

Prior to that, he was a sergeant in Cheney for 18 years and a regular cop for six.

In 25 years with the department, “I’ve done a little bit of everything - patrolman, detective, administrator,” he said.

Mayor Amy Jo Sooy said she selected Lopes over 15 other applicants because of his familiarity with the community, to be sure, but also for his philosophy of community policing and inclusiveness.

“He is the most qualified for this city,” she said.

True to form, Lopes says the Cheney Police Department’s priority now will be community input.

He has been meeting with city officials and other community leaders to garner their thoughts on what Cheney PD should be focusing on now and in the future.

“The only way to find out what people want us to accomplish is to go out and ask them,” he said.

“I’m pretty open-minded.”

And what have people told him they want, so far?

Lopes said people see a need for more community policing and partnership with other agencies.

To that end, Lopes has arranged that Cheney PD conduct joint patrols with Eastern Washington University’s police on weekends, and he hopes to work with the Cheney School District to develop a classroom education program, and perhaps joint training with the district’s security officers.

Also, Lopes is working with other West Plains law enforcement agencies, including EWU and the Medical Lake and Airway Heights police departments to procure more jail space through a Department of Corrections grant.

“West Plains is a big community that’s going to have to share resources,” he said.

In the future, he said, he expects that in addition to other law enforcement agencies, Cheney PD will have to share resources with civic and social agencies, as well. Issues that were once considered just a law enforcement dilemma are being treated more comprehensively.

“In a professional sense, we all realize how close we are in dealing with things,” he said.

So far, Lopes’ said he’s enjoying his new responsibilities in the department and his new role in the community.

“People used to hire you for life, and that’s the commitment that I’ve made to this city,” he said. “It’s been a great relationship.”

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