Search for new Police Chief progressing quickly

City of Sidney staff may be closer to hiring a new police chief than some might expect.

According to City Manager Gary Person applications for the position were due April 15 at 5 p.m.

“With two days of mail now passing since the deadline, we believe we have received all of the applications that we are going to receive,” said Person. “But should there be one that comes in with a proper postmark we would still honor it.”

The city has received nine applications to date. Six of the applicants are from Nebraska, while three are applying from out of state. The applicants’ names are being withheld until finalists are certified by the city’s Civil Service Commission.

“We will be reviewing the applications based on experience and professional credentials and will determine which candidates will be invited in for testing,” said Person.

He explained that the candidates go through a morning full of testing before those exceeding the test score standard are interviewed by a panel.

“We have a great selection of community representatives that will help us go through the interview process,” he said. “We will be asking each panelist to rank the candidates.”

Person said that the testing results and interview ranking will be combined with applicants background checks to be presented to the city’s Civil Service Commission.

“An executive session will be held to discuss the personnel issues, and then in open session the commission will certify a list of finalists to be considered for hire by the City Manager,” said Person.

The search for a new police chief started in February when then chief Mike Brown announced that he would be resigning to return to Kansas to be with ill family members.

Joe Aikens, who was serving as Sidney’s Assistant Police Chief, took over as the interim head in Brown’s absence.

“I’m sad that our chief left, but I am proud to step up for our department and maintain it,” said Aikens the day he officially took the position.

Aikens started his career with the Sidney Police Department in 1982 as a dispatcher and has greatfully served this community ever since.

He has been in the leadership position before, having served an interim chief position from October 2009 to April 2011 when it was asked of him.

“The last time the process (appointing a new chief) took 17 months, but the length of time was due primarily to budget issues created by unanticipated sales tax refunds initiated by the State of Nebraska with only a one month’s notice to the city, making it impossible to adjust in the middle of a budget year,” said Person.

Person commented in February that appointing a new police chief would hopefully take approximately four months this time, and as his team gets closer to choosing a candidate, it appears he might be right on point.

“The testing and community panel interview will be done some time in mid-May and it is hoped the entire process will be concluded by late May or in June,” said Person.