E.L. police captain up for position in Kalamazoo

The city of East Lansing’s loss may be Kalamazoo’s gain.

East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson, who is being considered for chief of the Kalamazoo Public Safety Department, will speak at a public forum with the two other final candidates at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Hall Commission Chambers in Kalamazoo.

Other candidates include David Headings, the current Battle Creek chief of police, and Jeffrey Hadley of the Fort Wayne Police Department in Indiana.

Johnson said he first applied for the position in late February through the Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C. A few weeks ago he got a call letting him know he was one of the five semifinal candidates for the position.

Johnson was then notified on Monday that he is one of three finalists.

“It will be a little harder to try and squeeze all of your life experiences and qualifications for the city in ten minutes,” Johnson said. “Just joining the process and having a great opportunity to be in the top three is a very big honor.”

Eligible to retire from ELPD in February, he said he wanted to pursue his desire to one day be chief of police.

“Our chief and department chief have done a great job here, and there can’t be two chiefs,” Johnson said. “I’d love to stay, but there’s no room here to top.”

Tom Wibert, chief of police for ELPD, said Johnson’s win would be a big gain for them, and a big loss for ELPD.

“Kim leaves some pretty big shoes to fill if he ends up getting the job,” Wibert said.

If needed, Wibert said he would fill Johnson’s spot by promoting a lieutenant to captain, he said.

Other co-workers of Johnson at ELPD share similar feelings: They hope for the best for Johnson, but also know what an impact he has had on their department.

Capt. Thomas Johnstone, who has known Johnson since they were in the police academy together in 1981, said Johnson has several qualities that make him an ideal candidate for the public safety chief position.

“He’s a good communicator, he works well with everybody here in East Lansing,” Johnstone said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that even if he goes into a different environment at Kalamazoo he would have just as much success there.”

Once the candidates speak in the public forum, the city manager of Kalamazoo, Kenneth Collard, will select one of the finalists for the position.

Johnson’s responsibilities at ELPD include keeping police records and overseeing the 911 dispatch center, overseeing parking code enforcement, technical services and community activities bureau, as well as serving as public information officer and emergency management coordinator. He began his career in 1982 with ELPD, and since then has been responsible for the detective bureau.

As far as how the new position would affect his personal life, Johnson said that it is a road he will need to cross when it happens.

“I haven’t though too much about it,” Johnson said. “With any kind of new job, there will be change involved.”