Search firm helping find new police chief

Spokane city officials have enlisted a Seattle head-hunting group to assist in the search for a new police chief.

Waldron & Co., a human resources consulting company, was hired about a month ago.

The city’s contract with the company is valued at about $30,000, Deputy Mayor Jack Lynch said.

Waldron will post the job, look at pools of existing applicants and work with groups such as the Washington Association of Police Chiefs to do some recruiting, Lynch said. The company will then screen the applicants.

The search is to replace Chief Roger Bragdon, who retired last December.

Jim Nicks was appointed acting police chief on Dec. 19. However, Nicks decided he didn’t want to be considered for the post because, he said, the chief’s job stole too much time from his family.

The fact that the City Council contracted with an outside agency to find a new police chief doesn’t mean candidates within the Spokane Police Department aren’t being considered, Mayor Dennis Hession said. Two people within the department have expressed interest.

The search for candidates will be limited to the West Coast and lower Plains states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Colorado, Lynch said.

The four main criteria the company and the selection committee will be looking for in a new chief is someone who will reach out to the community, including minority groups; is technologically savvy; well versed in tough budgets; and able to perceive strengths to build on and identify weak spots that need work.

The committee liked Hessisions suggestion of exposing the finalists to groups around the Spokane area before making a final choice, Hession said. But Waldron suggested they meet with those various groups to find out what type of person the Spokane community was looking for to assist in the search.

Once Waldron & Co. has selected the most promising applicants for police chief, they will forward them to the selection committee, who will then narrow the choice down to the three to five best. Lynch expects the process to take about two months.

After the committee forwards the best candidates to Hession, he will forward his No. 1 choice to the council for confirmation.

Hession named the police chief selection committee last month.

“I wanted some perspective that was broader than mine,” Hession said of putting together a selection committee. “I wanted the community involved and perspective from the law enforcement community as well.”