By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Three police chief hopefuls were interviewed yesterday in Centralia as the city continues its work to replace outgoing Chief Bob Berg.
The men include Centralia Police Department Cmdr. Jim Rich, Capt. Carl Nielsen of the Turlock (California) Police Department and Lt. Maury Richards of the Chicago Police Department.
Centralia City Manager Rob Hill said this morning he will probably make an offer to one of them early next week.
Twenty applications from the nationwide search that began in December were narrowed down to five finalists who were interviewed by city department heads and select community members on Tuesday.
Berg is retiring in May.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has been assisting with the recruitment and hiring process.
•••
For background, read “Police chief hopefuls undergo two days of questioning in Centralia” from Wednesday February 18, 2015, here
•••
James Rich
Carl Nielsen
Maurice Richards
They better be doing a double b ackground search on Lt. Maury Richards of the Chicago PD. That guy is as far from home as he can get. There could well be a good reason for that. Could he be here due to the heavy scrutiny of the Chicago PD that is going on there right now? That department is almost considered evil. Right up there with the Ferguson PD, or possibly worse.
I have to agree. Jim Rich has said he wants to stay the course, but how well has that course served the people of Centralia? The CPD is getting a reputation of being a bit trigger-happy outside the area and I’m not sure Jim’s the best choice to change that perception. “More of same” doesn’t equal “better times ahead.”
Centralia needs a fresh face, hiring from within would not be a good thing or bring the changes needed in the police dept.