Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-2012 Three Finalists Announced for South Bend Chief of Police SOU TH 8F 4 � i r-- x x 1565 CITY OF SOUTH BEND PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR OFFICE OF THE MAYOR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2012 Contact: Mike Schmuhl Phone: 574-235-9261 THREE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SOUTH BEND CHIEF OF POLICE Elg Marquis, and Teachman All Have Senior Executive Experience SOUTH BEND The Office of Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released the names of three finalists for the position of chief of police for the South Bend Police Department. The finalists are Christopher Elg, Bruce Marquis, and Ronald Teachman. Each finalist will have the opportunity to meet with Mayor Buttigieg and interview in person for the position. Once Mayor Buttigieg has made his decision,the Mayor's Office will make an announcement. "This process has been inclusive, professional, diverse, and thorough," said Mayor Pete Buttigieg. "Three highly-experienced candidates clearly made it to the top of the list during this process. I look forward to announcing a new leader for the South Bend Police Department soon." The search started in mid-August when the City of South Bend partnered with the Strategic Policy Partnership to assist with the collection and review of applications. Robert Wasserman, chairman of the firm,has ties to the South Bend community and donated his own time for $1. The search included a public town hall forum on October 4 at the Kroc Center, which was facilitated by Robert Stewart, a policing expert who works with the Strategic Policy Partnership. A former chief himself, Stewart served as a past president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). The town hall forum was an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to the City of South Bend regarding the future leadership of the police department. Following the town hall, the position was posted across the country for a period of four weeks. The position received wide interest from inside and outside the community, drawing more than 60 applications. 1400 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING•227 W.JEFFERSON BOULEVARD•SOUTH BEND,INDIANA 46601 PHONE 574/235-9261• FAx 574/235-9892 Once the submission deadline passed, Mayor Buttigieg formed an advisory committee to assist with the review of final candidates. The committee conducted phone interviews with a group of candidates before inviting a smaller number to attend in-person interviews. The committee ultimately recommended three finalists to the mayor. The advisory committee's membership included the following individuals: • Dr.Virginia Calvin, former chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College and former superintendent of the South Bend Community School Corporation. • General Joseph Carter, former adjutant general of the National Guard of Massachusetts, former chief of police of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Police, former Boston Police superintendent, and former president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. • John Collins, member of the South Bend Board of Public Safety and former head of Internal Affairs with the South Bend Police Department. • Kreg Gruber, president of Memorial Hospital in South Bend. • Brad Ellsworth, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and former sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Indiana. • Chuck Hurley, former and current interim chief of the South Bend Police Department. • Aaron Perri, executive director of Downtown South Bend (DTSB). • Rebecca Ruvalcaba, executive director of La Casa de Amistad Youth and Community Center. Elg, Marquis, and Teachman all have considerable, senior professional policing experience and each has served as a chief of police. Here is additional information on each finalist: Christopher Fig has been a chief of police or public safety director the last 17 years. He currently serves as the chief of police in West Monroe, Louisiana, where he has worked since 2004. From 2001 to 2003 he was the director of public safety in Van Buren Township, Michigan. He has also been the police director or chief in Carteret,New Jersey, and Medical Lake, Washington. He started his law enforcement career in 1985 as a state trooper with the New York State Police. Elg has two degrees from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York in addition to a master's degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Elg has also served in the U.S. Coast Guard since 1989. Bruce Marquis has been a chief of police in two mid-size U.S. cities Hartford, Connecticut and most recently, Norfolk, Virginia. He's currently a law enforcement consultant for the U.S. Department of State and teaches leadership, management, and antiterrorism courses to mid and senior-level police officials in partner nations around the world. He was also a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1984 to 1994 in Houston. Marquis has a bachelor's degree, two master's degrees, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in higher education administration. Marquis served in the U.S. Air Force from 1975 to 1983. Ronald Teachman is a 34 year veteran of the New Bedford(Mass.)Police Department, where he finished his time as chief of police from 2006 to 2011. At New Bedford,he held the ranks of patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. He currently works for The Emergence Group, a Washington, D.C. based company specializing in criminal justice reform in post-conflict and emerging nations. He has a law degree from the New England School of Law in addition to two bachelor's degrees.