Candidates for the next police chief of East Lansing were interviewed individually Wednesday by a citizen committee, and a final decision on the police chief should be made early next week, East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said.
The committee was made up of members from neighborhood councils, ASMSU, the MSU police and two city department directors, among others. Staton said the names of the top three finalists will be released today.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
Former police Chief Tom Wibert left the East Lansing Police Department on Oct. 31, 2010, to start a new job as police chief in New Braunfels, Texas.
The eight candidates interviewed by the committee were selected from a pool of 32 applicants from across the country, Staton said.
“The applicants were strong,” Staton said. “They were from all over the country, from Oregon to Florida and California to New York. All were extremely well-qualified.”
Staton said after the candidates are narrowed down, the finalists will meet with presidents of the police union and individual members of East Lansing City Council. These groups also will give Staton feedback, from which he will make his final decision.
Emily Serkaian, ASMSU’s director of governmental affairs, was one of the seven members of the citizens council. Serkaian said all candidates were well-rounded, but said it was important to students that the new police chief will prioritize interaction with students.
“Someone who is student-friendly is who I was looking for,” Serkaian said. “That’s an essential part in a town where so many interactions will take place between police and students.”
East Lansing police Interim Chief Juli Liebler said aside from events such as Welcome Weekend and NCAA Final Four celebrations, the biggest challenge the next police chief will have to deal with is a reduced budget.
“The city faces some serious challenges in the next couple of years,” Liebler said. “We’ll have to find a way to continue what we do with less money.”
East Lansing police Lt. Kevin Daley referenced Wibert as an example of what traits are important for the next chief of police.
“(Wibert) could reach out and communicate with the community,” Daley said. “(He) was able to get the job done. He wasn’t one to wait.”
Daley said whoever gets the job will be in a good position.
“I won’t work for another police department anywhere else in the country,” Daley said. “Between the people, the department, whoever gets the spot is going to be a very fortunate individual.”
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