Here’s how to hear from Olympia’s police chief finalists and give input in online survey
.jpg "The City of Olympia conducted a virtual Town Hall on March 15 where the three finalists for Chief of the Olympia Police Department answered questions posed by the public.")
After a day full of interviews with City of Olympia officials on Tuesday, the three candidates for Chief of the city’s police department spent the evening answering questions posed by the public in a virtual Town Hall event.
The candidates were asked an array of questions covering police reform, reimagining policing in Olympia, promoting diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion and more. Almost 100 people were in attendance.
The Town Hall was recorded and can be viewed on the city’s Engage Olympia website under Olympia Police Chief Recruitment and Candidate Impressions, as well as the city’s YouTube page. Those who watched the event are asked to give their thoughts and opinions of the candidates to the city in an online survey.
The survey will be available through Friday, March 18.
During introductions, each candidate talked about why they want to be Chief of the OPD.
Mark Bliss, a deputy chief at the Detroit Police Department in Michigan, said Olympia is at an exciting time as it reimagines public safety.
“That’s how we can change the department for good, and I want to be there,” Bliss said. “I want to have a seat at that table and to help impact that change.”
Kenton Buckner, the Police Chief in Syracuse, New York, talked about his tenure and experience in promoting community policing. He said the Olympia job is attractive because Olympia is a progressive city that has been focusing on progressive policing and re-imagining policing longer than many other departments.
Buckner said another thing that drew him to Olympia specifically was the scenery, which he said was reinforced Tuesday during panel interviews when he saw photos of the waterfront in city officials’ video backgrounds.
William Riley III, retired Chief of Police for Inkster, Michigan, said reimagining public safety is what led him to Olympia because it’s the type of work he’s done for the past 10 to 15 years. He said the scenery also reminds him of his home state of Virginia.
During closing remarks, all three candidates focused on reimagining public safety and policing, praising the city for the work that has been done so far, but stating more work needs to be done to keep the department moving forward.
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