Chattanooga residents can now weigh in on their preferences for the city's new police chief.
Mayor Tim Kelly's office sent out a public survey Friday, available at chattanooga.gov/chief, that asks residents three questions about what they want to see for the police department's next leader.
Chattanooga's previous police chief, Celeste Murphy, resigned in late June one day before she was indicted on charges that allege she entered false information on three official documents.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga police chief being investigated for official misconduct, residency)
Harry Sommers, who Murphy appointed as an executive chief overseeing investigations, is serving as interim chief during the search.
Around 30 candidates had applied for the position by the time applications closed last week, mayor spokesperson Kevin Roig said by phone. The applicants are a mix of internal and external candidates, Roig said.
The mayor's office is prioritizing hiring someone from within the department, Kelly's chief of staff previously told members of the city council.
On Friday, the mayor also announced the appointment of a 19-member advisory committee to help him decide who to hire.
Eight of the committee's members work at the police department, according to a news release.
The committee also includes residents of different neighborhoods, church leaders and representatives from local organizations, including La Paz and the NAACP.
The mayor hopes to hire someone by mid-September, Roig said.
"As we move through the interview process for our chief of police candidates, we want to hear from all parts of Chattanooga," Kelly said in a news release. "I'm asking every Chattanoogan to spend about three minutes to make your voice heard by taking our brief survey that will help inform the selection of our next chief of police."
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SURVEY QUESTIONS
The survey asks three questions.
First, it asks residents to rank the qualities they'd like to see in the next chief.
The options include experience, honesty and transparency, forward-thinking and open mindedness, being community-oriented, and having interpersonal, communication and leadership skills.
(READ MORE: Former Chattanooga police chief pleads not guilty to residency charges)
The second question asks residents where they think the new chief should focus.
The survey lists community engagement, balancing enforcement with community impact, prevention-focused policing, transparency and accountability, and diversity and inclusivity.
The final question is open ended: "Your input is important. What else would you like to share?"
People who take the survey can also opt in to receive more emails about this topic.
There is no end date set for the survey yet, mayoral spokesperson Eric Holl said by phone.
PUBLIC INPUT
After Murphy resigned, the local chapter of the NAACP sent a letter to Kelly urging the city to conduct a community survey to gauge the public's priorities for the new chief.
Chapter President the Rev. Ann Jones Pierre said she thinks it's important for the city to hear what characteristics and issues the public is most interested in.
"What do you want to see? Then find the person that can fit that particular character," she said by phone. "Because if you start looking for a person, that seems like the backwards way of doing it."
Jones Pierre said the city's survey is asking the right questions.
"But the next step is holding the person accountable, right?" Jones Pierre said by phone.
The ideal candidate, she said, would be willing to connect with the community and young people. Drugs and guns top her list of priorities, she said.
"I have to give it to Celeste (Murphy), she had some good ideas," Jones Pierre said. "She was more of a person person, you know, a community type trying to get people to work together."
She said she can't think of any previous Chattanooga chiefs who had all the characteristics she'd like to see in that position.
"This is a new world of policing," Jones Pierre said. "All over the United States. You have to be careful about who you get."
She added she doesn't want to see the police unions monopolize the selection process.
External candidates may bring a different perspective to the position, Jones Pierre said, adding it could be limiting for the city to only look at current Chattanooga officers.
COMMITTEE
The advisory committee will be led by city council member Raquetta Dotley, of East Lake, who chairs the city's public safety commission.
The members were chosen by members of the mayor's staff and Dotley, Roig said, and includes residents who reached out to the mayor's office about serving on the committee.
Local chapters of police unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police and International Brotherhood of Police Officers, have seats on the committee, Roig said.
There are also other representatives from sworn officers who aren't in union leadership.
Michael Dzik, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, said Dotley reached out and requested him to join the committee. He said by phone he expects to work off the results of the community survey.
Joe Smith, a member of the Hamilton County school board, was asked by Kelly to join, Smith said by phone.
The committee also has church leaders, including the Rev. Ernest Reid of Second Missionary Baptist Church, who was one of several Black pastors who called the indictment against Murphy unjust and politically motivated.
Members were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements to avoid information about the process leaking publicly, Roig said.
Jones Pierre, with the NAACP, also agreed to join the committee.
"Ultimately, the mayor will make the decision," she said, "but I would like to see the committee actively say what they feel."
The committee will likely get involved during second-round interviews, Roig said. After that, the list will be narrowed down to the finalists, whose names are typically announced publicly. Then, Roig said, Kelly will make the final call.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.
