Olympia police chief finalists announced, public meeting set for Tuesday
.jpg "After more than two years, the City of Olympia is wrapping up its search for a permanent police chief to oversee the Olympia Police Department.")
After more than two years, the city of Olympia is wrapping up its search for a permanent chief to oversee the Olympia Police Department.
City Manager Jay Burney announced the three finalists on Friday.
- Kenton Buckner: Buckner is Chief of the Syracuse Police Department in Syracuse, New York. He began his career as a patrolman with the Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky, in 1993 and retired from the department as Assistant Chief of Police in 2014. He went on to serve as Chief of Police for the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, for nearly five years before moving to his current position. Buckner holds a bachelor’s degree in police administration and a master’s degree in safety, security and emergency management from Eastern Kentucky University.
- Mark Bliss: Bliss is the Deputy Chief in charge of support operations at the Detroit Police Department in Michigan. He started his career in 1999, and has served in a command rank for the past eight years. In his current role, Bliss is responsible for the Detroit Detention Center, the Training Center, the Office of Internal/External Relations, the Chief’s Neighborhood Liaison, and the Management Services Section. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from John Carroll University and a master’s degree in forensic science from Michigan State University.
- William Riley III: Riley just retired as Police Chief for the City of Inkster, Michigan. He entered law enforcement in 1984 as a patrol officer with the Newport News Police Department in Virginia, and served in that department for 24 years, rising to the rank of captain and serving as Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division. In 2008, he became Chief of Police for the Selma Police Department in Alabama. Riley holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia.
More information about the candidates can be found on the city’s Engage Olympia website.
All three candidates will be participating in a virtual Town Hall at 6 p.m. March 15. Residents are encouraged to submit questions for the candidates on the city’s website. People also can register to attend the Town Hall on the city’s website..
There were 37 submitted questions as of Friday, with topics ranging from dealing with graffiti to promoting anti-racism and responding to people in crisis situations.
The police department currently has 110 employees, including 76 commissioned personnel, 13 corrections officers and 21 civilian employees, according to the Engage Olympia website.
The department has an annual operating budget of $21.8 million.
The current annual salary for police chief is $192,177. More information on the position, as well as the recruitment brochure, can be found on the Public Sector Search & Consulting website.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 1:36 PM.
.jpg)