Five candidates for the Yakima police chief position will be in Yakima this Thursday, March 21st and Friday, March 22nd to participate in a series of interviews and two “Meet & Greet” sessions – one with Yakima Police Department (YPD) staff and one with community members.
The names of the five applicants in the interview pool will be released on Thursday.
A total of 23 people applied for the chief position. With the assistance of a search firm specializing in law enforcement recruitments, City Manager Cliff Moore narrowed the field to the applicants that have been invited to Yakima for interviews.
“The five candidates that have been invited to the first round of interviews have a broad range of law enforcement experience and have served in a variety of positions throughout their careers,” said Moore. “I’m confident that each is a strong candidate and could serve well as the next Yakima police chief.”
On March 21st, the five applicants will be interviewed by a panel consisting of experienced law enforcement professionals, a panel made up of members of unions that represent YPD staff, a panel of senior City staff members, and a panel of community members. A City Council member will sit on the community panel and the senior City staff panel. The candidates will also be interviewed individually by Moore, who will ultimately decide who will become the next Yakima police chief.
In the afternoon on March 22nd, the candidates will participate in a “Meet & Greet” session with YPD staff. That evening, another “Meet & Greet” session open to everyone in the community will take place in the south foyer of the Yakima Convention Center from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Following the Thursday interviews and the Friday “Meet & Greet” sessions, the field of police chief candidates will likely be further narrowed. Finalists, the number of which has yet to be determined, will then be further assessed by Moore.
The next Yakima police chief will succeed Dominic Rizzi, who held the position from spring 2012 until fall 2018. The Yakima police chief oversees a department that includes about 190 total employees. The total 2019 YPD budget is just over $30 million.