The Medicine Hat Police Commission says a high number of good quality applicants are vying for position of local chief.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
The search for a new chief of police is proceeding as expected, police commission chair Ted Rodych told the News – sharing that the commission hopes to welcome the new chief by early 2023.
“We are making progress,” said Rodych. “We’ve gone through our first rounds of interviews and now we’re working on a shortlist. And we’re hoping by the end of November that we have a (candidate) selected and an offer accepted. And our hope is (they can start by) the beginning of the new year.”
Rodych says that timeline is an estimate dependent on a variety of factors – like how much notice the candidate must provide their current employer, how quickly the candidate could find housing in Medicine Hat if not already a resident of the area, etc. Nevertheless, Rodych feels the search is moving along in a timely manner.
While Rodych did not disclose the number of applications received, he did say there were “quite a number” and “good choices.”
“Our objective of this whole thing is to find the best candidate who best fits our job profile for the chief of police here in Medicine Hat,” said Rodych. “So we’re still continuing on that.”
MHPS has been without a chief since May when former chief Mike Worden resigned following an internal investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct.
MHPS Insp. Joe West took on role of acting chief from May to early October when Edmonton Police Service Deputy Chief Alan Murphy came on board as interim chief. Murphy is expected to stay in that role until the new chief is chosen and arrives in Medicine Hat, with Murphy assisting them in the transition.
