Mayor Andy Berke's office said Monday that it will enlist the help of the community to inform the selection criteria for a new police chief.
Last month, current Chief Fred Fletcher announced he will retire at the conclusion of his contract in July of this year.
The selection committee, which will recommend final applicants to Mayor Berke, also includes community representation.
“Establishing a committee made up of community members and external stakeholders is the same formula we used to select Chief Fletcher,” said Mayor Berke. “That strategy produced great results last time and I am confident it will help us again determine the right chief to lead our police department forward.”
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted from May 17 until June 5. Once the submission process ends, the selection committee will review all applications, narrow the field, and interview finalists. Finally, the committee will make a recommendation of no more than three applicants to Mayor Berke.
The six-person selection committee was chosen for their diverse backgrounds as well as their specific areas of expertise, both in the public safety/judicial system and within the community, it was stated.
The committee includes former District Attorney Bill Cox, former chairperson of Highland Park Neighborhood Association’s Safety Committee Olga de Klein, former U.S. Attorney Bill Killian, Pastor Ternae Jordan of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, TechTown CEO Chris Ramsey, and General Sessions Court Judge Christie Sell.
“Including the perspective of those whom you serve is immensely important when making a decision such as this,” said selection committee member Pastor Ternae Jordan. “I look forward to adding my voice to this process, to ensure our next police chief shares the values of the community in which he or she will serve.”
In addition to a selection committee, the Citizen Safety Coalition will develop a citizen survey to help inform the review criteria used during the selection process. This survey will also be used to determine interview questions for potential applicants. The Citizen Safety Coalition encourages all citizens to provide their feedback on the selection of a police chief and help facilitate the outreach effort by sharing the survey, which will be distributed and made available online in the coming weeks.
In the 2014 process that resulted in the hiring of Chief Fletcher, the city also used an outside search agency in addition to a local selection committee. The outside agency was used to conduct a national search for qualified applicants. Officials said, "Because of strong internal candidates in the police department today, as well as the national interest in Chattanooga, the city will forgo hiring an outside search firm for this process. However, all candidates will be considered equally regardless of whether they are internal or outside applicants."
The selection committee is confident all applicant screening will take place prior to Chief Fletcher’s retirement, which will be effective July 6. However, Mayor Berke is prepared to appoint an interim if more time is needed to find the best person for the job, it was stated.
“Chief Fletcher has built a deep bench of leaders at the police department and any of them could step up to lead us through a transition. In fact, I have no doubt some of these talented leaders will be among the strongest applicants for the final position,” said Mayor Berke. “All that to say -- the Chattanooga Police Department is in good hands.”
Per the city of Chattanooga charter, the mayor’s appointment of police chief is subject to approval by the Chattanooga City Council.
Mayor Berke established the Citizen Safety Coalition in 2016 "to find ways to engage individuals within neighborhoods to foster strong, stable relationships as well as to recommend tactics for keeping young men and women involved in positive activities, especially during the summer months."
The Coalition is co-chaired by Bishop Kevin Adams of Olivet Baptist Church and Dr. Charles Mitchell, vice principal of Brainerd High School.