Chattanooga posts police chief opening

Saturday, February 8, 2014

photo Developing Story

With a deadline to apply a month away, Chattanooga posted an opening for police chief Friday.

"The city of Chattanooga is seeking a proven leader who can inspire the confidence of the community and police officers as the city's police chief," the description states. "The successful candidate will be committed to using up-to-date, data driven policing strategies to guide the application of the principles of community policing to reduce crime and deliver excellent police services to all the citizens in Chattanooga."

The description for the posting -- which will also be listed on national police organization as well as on the city's job openings -- was crafted by a recruiting consultant who spent a couple of days with officers, pastors, council members and Mayor Andy Berke last week.

The consultant, who was with the Police Executive Research Forum, was hired by the city for a capped rate of $39,000 to assist with the search. Once candidates are found, the nonprofit police organization will work with a committee to select the city's next chief.

Mayor Andy Berke said in a previous interview that he hopes to have police chief in by April to lead the department in implementing Chattanooga Violence Reduction Initiative based on John Jay College of Criminal Justice Professor David Kennedy's anti-crime programs.

Applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree and are encouraged to also have a master's degree.

To run the 461-officer department, the posting states the candidate must have, "progressively responsible command-level experience in policing an urban community and knowledge of best practices in policing are prerequisites."

The city's police department has been operated by Assistant Chief Stan Maffett since former Chief Bobby Dodd retired in December after 26 years of service with the department. He made an annual salary of $126,875.

The salary range for the next police chief will be between $115,000 and $146,000 per year.

Contact staff writer Beth Burger at bburger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/abburger.

To download and read a complete copy of the city's police chief job posting, visit timesfreepress.com.