Talking Kelso

Captain Andy Hamilton was selected as the new police chief this week, according to city manager Dennis Richards. Hamilton will take the place of Chief Wayne Nelson after Nelson’s retirement on or around March 31.

I didn’t participate in the formal interview process, but I did take an hour to visit with the external candidates that were brought in for consideration. These guys had some solid credentials, were enjoyable to speak with, for the most part, and may have been decent chiefs for Kelso. However, in the end, Andy Hamilton was the clearest choice, according to Richards.

Personally, I am proud to see one of our own come out on top in a wide review of available talent. I’ve been acquainted with Andy for about the last ten years as we began working with CrimeStoppers when it formed in 1999. He’s always been a guy who cared about the community, participating in all kinds of programs, like Safe Kids and National Night Out. I have no doubt that he’ll perform admirably in his new position.

With Chief Wayne Nelson’s impending retirement, Kelso faces an important decision as the search for his replacement begins.  The council considered hiring a placement firm to help recruit and evaluate potential candidates in a regional search that would include most of the west coast.  Ultimately, because the cost of the firm would be more than $20,000, the council decided to table the decision until the next meeting, hoping that a less expensive alternative might be found.

Several councilmembers expressed a preference for having internal candidates evaluated before casting a wider net (I’m aware of at least two officers that have expressed interest).  When it comes to hiring decisions such as this one, it’s important to remember the respective roles that the council and management play.  The council doesn’t have any say in whether to conduct a regional search or to just look within the department for the next chief.  What we’re having to decide is whether we will authorize the expenditure to hire the recruiters to help management complete the project.

It appears the city manager plans to look both within and without the department for the next chief.  Some wonder why we should go to that much effort and expense if we just end up choosing an internal candidate in the end.  That’s a reasonable concern.  But even if that were the case, the new chief would be proven the best available in the entire region, not just our department.  That kind of clout can be valuable for a new leader.

So, any thoughts?