Riley named new top cop in Aragon
The Aragon Police Department finally has a chief as the city council voted to approve the promotion and appointment of Marc Riley to the job.
Riley, who was sworn in at the end of Thursday’s city council meeting in Aragon, said that one of his first orders of business will be to work on establishing a Neighborhood Watch in the mill village.
“I feel like in Aragon if the citizens and the police department work together, we can make a safer community,” he said. “That’s my number one goal, because having limited resources we don’t have a lot of officers right now. The citizens can help us, and we can in turn help them.”
Riley will be attending a 60-hour long chief’s course in Duluth this week to finish off the qualifications required to be a chief of a police department. The training gives chiefs experience with management and police administration.
“It gives you all the knowledge you need to start,” he said.
The assistant chief was promoted without any competition for the job, according to Mayor Ken Suffridge.
“I’m proud to be able to promote him and stay within the city as far as filling slots,” Suffridge said. “We try to promote from within as much as possible.”
Before being
approved during discussion following a motion, Councilman Hunter Spinks asked if any other candidates were considered, or if the job was posted widely for others to apply. When told it was a promotion within the ranks, he said, “Well, it’s the chief, so it’s kind of more the than that.”
However, he voted with the rest of the council to approve.
Riley replaces former chief Wayne Sanders, who left the Aragon PD on workman’s com- pensation in late 2014.
He started his career in Aragon as a part time offer in 2001. He went full time in 2003 and was full time Police Sergeant until he left in 2007. He was rehired in 2010 and promoted to Lieutenant in 2014.