Deadline likely off in search for chief
LR mayor leaves date open-ended
After taking the helm in the search for Little Rock’s next police chief this week, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said the initial chief-selection deadline of mid-February will likely be extended.
In an interview Tuesday, Scott said the Christmas holiday and the change in city administration slowed the process. He did not specify a new end-date for the search.
City Manager Bruce Moore led the police chief search until Scott announced a city organizational structure Monday that puts the Police Department under Scott’s purview.
The police chief position was vacated in November. Former Chief Kenton Buckner accepted a position as police chief in Syracuse, N.Y. After Buckner’s resignation announcement, Moore designated the city’s three assistant chiefs — Wayne Bewley, Hayward Finks and Alice Fulk — as interim chiefs on a rotating basis until a new chief takes office.
Several community leaders said Wednesday that finding the right department leader is worth the wait.
“I think Mayor Scott needs to take his time. We don’t want another chief like the one we had,” said Benny Johnson, president of the Arkansas Stop the Violence activist group. “We need a chief that is effective but will be able to relate to the community, too.”
Moore initially estimated that the search and selection of a new chief would take 90 days, giving each assistant chief 30 days as
interim department head.
Fulk took over in the position on Nov. 17, the day after Buckner’s departure. Finks took over on Dec. 18, and will pass the position on to Bewley on Friday, according to the previous schedule.
Scott said Tuesday that he would continue the rotating-chief cycle.
Finks and Fulk have submitted applications for the police chief job. Both said they were unaware that the deadline to fill for the position could be pushed back.
“I have not received any
information as far as an extension or timeline of the process,” Finks said. “Personally, I think that it is good for the city to take its time and do it right. The chief of police is a very important position.”
Scott said the city’s human-resources department is reviewing the 57 applications submitted for the position and will narrow the pool to 10 for consideration and begin interviewing applicants. Once the top “three to five” candidates are chosen, Scott said he will announce the names to the public and begin looking for community feedback.
Scott said he will then interview the top candidates and select a new chief.
Scott said the qualities he’s looking for are: police operations experience, management experience, an emphasis on community policing and an understanding of the city’s culture.
The search in Syracuse, N.Y., that led to Buckner being hired as that city’s next department leader lasted about 10 months. Little Rock’s searches have historically been shorter than that.
Buckner was hired in 2014 after a search of about four months.
In 2004, Moore said he expected the search to replace Lawrence Johnson to last four to five months. In 1999, former City Manager Cy Carney said he expected the search to replace Chief Louie Caudell to take about five months.
Ronnie Morgan, president of Little Rock’s Fraternal Order of Police, said choosing the new chief is an important decision, and “if he [the mayor] needs to take more time, he should take that time. That’s all there is to it.”
Ward 2 City Director Ken Richardson agreed that Scott should take all the time necessary
to choose the right chief for the department, but added that the police officers need a consistent leader, too.
“I think it’s something that we need to be careful and thoughtful about, but we don’t need to prolong it too long,” Richardson said. “There’s a need for guidance and direction on the force.”
Little Rock residents have pointed out the need for better community relations between officers and the people they serve. Scott listed community policing as one of his top priorities for the new chief, and Richardson said that will be necessary for anyone who takes the job.
“The department is in
desperate need of some direction,” Richardson said. He referred to “problems we’ve had not just recently, but consistently. The places where we need the most police presence are the places where we have the worst community-police relationships.”
City Director Gene Fortson said the interim chiefs know the department and the city well enough to lead officers until a new chief is chosen.
“It’s a long process, I know that,” Fortson said. “If it takes a while to get somebody who fits those requirements, so be it. I know we have some very competent assistant chiefs in place.”