GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay Police have been holding community meetings with Divine Temple Church of God before Chief Andrew Smith arrived five years ago, but longtime pastor, L.C. Green, tells FOX 11 Smith took the relationship and others to a new level.
“It got a lot better because Chief was transparent. He would travel and come see us here. He would go to the Hispanic area to see about them. He would go to the Hmong area. He was all over the city.”
Smith tells FOX 11 these monthly meetings have become a cornerstone for community engagement.
“This is really the ground zero of where we find out what people’s concerns are, what they want from their police department.”
When Green found out Smith is retiring, he says it hit hard.
“It was sort of a sad thing, but everyone has to retire.”
Smith announced last week he will be retiring on May 3rd.
The city’s police and fire commission is meeting today at 3:30 p.m. to begin the process of finding the next chief.
Green tells FOX 11 the church has already been sending letters to the police and fire commission, hoping to have a say in who the next chief is.
“They don’t have to go look. They’ve got Kevin (Warych). We’ve worked with him 100% and Kevin knows what we do. He knows the relationship we have with the community and with the police officers.”
Commander Kevin Warych has been a regular at the Divine Temple meetings for years. He says he will be applying for the position.
“It’s humbling, but we’ve always got work to do. We’re working very hard. We’re working to make sure that all people have a voice in this community.”
Smith says Warych is fine candidate, but he won’t be endorsing anyone to succeed him.
No matter who gets the job, Green says he’s going to make sure Smith has a message for them.
“Let the next chief, if you have to call him, and let him know that we work together. I don’t want nobody here that wants to put us upside a wall again.”
Smith says he expects a new chief to be in place by the end of the summer. In the meantime, an interim chief will likely be named.
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