Police Chief Search Continues, Public Meetings Scheduled
Two public meetings have been scheduled to get residents' input on what Norristown's should look for in its next chief of police.
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Norristown's search for a new police chief continues and the municipality has scheduled two of its promised public meetings to include the public in the search process.
The first meeting will be held Thursday, March 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library at 1001 Powell Street. The second is scheduled for Thursday, March 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Montgomery County Human Services Center at 1430 DeKalb Street (the old Sacred Heart Hospital).
The search committee is hoping to get public input about what sort of professional experience, training and potential law enforcement focus the public would like to see in a new chief of police. Residents will be asked to limit their comments to what they feel is important to the search process and issues a new chief may face. The discussion will be moderated and the information gathered will be shared with SafeCity Solutions, the Reading-based search firm contractedto conduct the search.
Norristown's current chief of police, Russell Bono, retires at the end of next week. Deputy Chief Capt. Willie Richet, who is also scheduled to retire next week, has been appointed to act as interim until a new police chief is selected.
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MzPaula
11:35 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Are there any Norristown residents on the search committee If so how were they chosen?
CryinSam
2:49 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
The odd thing, MzPaula, is that there is no search committee. There is a committee comprised of Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Millner and Mr. Royster which is called a search committee, but Safe City Solutions is contracted "to conduct the search." These meetings seem to be an exercise in appeasing those who may want to be heard. The "search committee" has no power for input and Safe City Solutions already has the criteria they need for the search.
jxjipper
10:09 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
This just shows how incompetent this Council is at governing the Borough and why it is such a freaking mess from top to bottom. We need wholesale changes to this whole group of Council people but the resident sheep of the Burro of Norristown got what they voted for. More of the same old same.
Robert Smith
10:03 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
I called city hall to speak with human resources to try and get more information about the opening and the search process. This appears to be a very unprofessional crew manning the telphones at city. I was transferred to an aswering machine; and of course human resources people won't answer human resources questions. You offend them when you dare ask them anything!
CryinSam
10:05 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Unfortunately, Robert, there are many things that need to change.
Cum Jizzington
4:00 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Toss it for Ted!
Mohandus Frieri
9:17 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013
The boobs on borough council don't know how to search for a municipal executive so they are going to hold a series of meetings so they don't have to take responsibility for the outcome of their search.
Violent crimes are at alarming a record rates despite that charade that outgoing Chief Bono put out last week. Borough council responds (or not) by fiddling around by asking the public what they want to see in the next police chief. Are you kidding?
Maybe they can discuss what they should wear or what they should eat. Should it be a man or a woman, a Baptist or Episcopalian; black, white or Hispanic? These meetings could take years before the search actually commences. Are you kidding?
Robert Smith
11:31 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013
Yes they are kidding and yes these meetings are almost always a complete and total waste of time and for SHOW only