APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – The search has already begun for Appleton’s next police chief.
Appleton Police Chief Todd Thomas announced last week that he intends to retire at the end of the year. Now, it’s time for the Police and Fire Commission to find his successor.
Thomas provided the advance notice to give the Police and Fire Commission plenty of time to conduct a thorough search.
“We are grateful that Chief Thomas has given us as much notice of his intent to retire as he has. It gives us an opportunity to conduct a nationwide search,” said Appleton Police and Fire Commission Chair, Pam De Leest. “The position will be posted nationwide for about 6 to 8 weeks, and then depending upon where we are at that point in time, the five commissioners will sit down and start going through all of those applications.”
But who, exactly, are they looking for?
“An individual who can continue to exemplify the excellence in law enforcement that we have been very, very fortunate to have here in the Fox Cities, and in Appleton itself,” De Leest told WTAQ News. “We are obviously one of the most innovative and progressive law enforcement agencies in the nation, and we really pride ourselves in that we are a community policing organization. We are looking for someone that can help us continue that legacy of community policing while exemplifying compassion, integrity, courage.”
That community policing piece is the key. De Leest hopes the next chief can continue the efforts and relationships Chief Thomas has been working to form.
“[Chief Thomas] is a great leader, and I know our community feels as if they have his ear and that he listens. The police chief’s advisory board is a great testament to that, where he meets with the community on a regular basis,” De Leest said. “We really are looking for individuals that can help deliver that excellence and innovative policing at that neighborhood level. We really believe that is what sets us apart and provides us with the excellence that we have.”
Advertisements for the opening went out this week.
“One of the reasons we do it as far in advance as we have is, if we don’t get the quality candidates that were looking for, that gives us the ability to re-post if we need to,” De Leest said. “Sometimes that happens. We’re not in a position to settle, and we want to make sure that we feel confident in the individual that we select for this position…There’s multiple interviews, and there are presentations that candidates will be required to provide to the commission before that selection process is completed.”
Thomas, an Appleton native, was hired as police chief in 2014.
Before that, he served as Captain of the Investigations Division for the Green Bay Police Department and was there for 14 years. He also served as a community service officer with the Appleton Police Department from 1985 to 1986 while he attended Fox Valley Technical College.
He will retire in January of 2023.
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