After four candidates interviewed to be the next Ann Arbor police chief, none of them were selected.
City administrator Milton Dohoney Jr.made the announcement on Friday afternoon. Dohoney says he made this decision after consulting with members of city council, staff and members of the community.
He told WEMU the four candidates all had excellent resumes, but in the end, there wasn’t one single candidate that stood out among the rest.
"Given the importance of the chief’s role, we owe it to ourselves to take our time and be more meticulous and make sure that we find the person that we think can lead the department for the next several years."
The candidates were:
- Nathaniel Clark, a chief in Forest Park, Ga.,
- Marcus Dudley who is in charge of the police department in Abilene, Texas,
- Christopher Hassig, who is a commander in Houston, Texas, and
- Latesha Watson, who is in charge of the public safety accountability department in Sacramento, Calif.
Dohoney added that the city is fortunate to be in a position where they do not need to rush a decision.
"I think a level of intentionality that needs to go with what we’re doing and we’re going to get right on it beginning next week. I will work until we find the right person to come here and join us in the community. I can’t predict how long that will take."
The city plans to work with its search firm Baker Tilly to perform a more targeted search.
Ann Arbor has been without a police chief since July of 2022 when Michael Cox left to take a Commissioner position with the Boston Police Department. Aimee Metzer, who was a finalist for the job until withdrawing late in the process, has been the interim chief since then.
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