CLEVELAND, Tenn. -City leaders are hoping the appointment of Mark Gibson as the new police chief marks the end of years of turmoil and scandal in the Cleveland Police Department.
"I definitely feel like Mark Gibson is the chief that we need," said Councilman Dale Hughes, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for the next police chief to be above reproach. "I don't think Mark will be an embarrassment to us. The bottom line is I'm very satisfied."
City Manager Janice Casteel announced Gibson's appointment Saturday and said he would take over on Monday. He will be sworn in at the City Council's Sept. 28 meeting.
Gibson was among three finalists winnowed from an initial field of 36 candidates. The other two finalists were Jessie Brooks, a captain in the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Timothy Christol, the chief of police in Red Bank, Tenn.
"After several months and numerous hours of research and interviews, I realized we had the right person within our own department," Casteel said in a statement Saturday. "This was confirmed to me by the numerous calls and letters from area law-enforcement leaders as well as members of the public."
The city and its leaders have been embarrassed by a series of scandals in recent years, including the toppling of two chiefs in sex scandals in less than 15 months.
In January 2014, long-serving police chief Wes Snyder retired after surveillance video surfaced that showed him meeting with married woman at a warehouse storage unit outfitted with a lawn chair, blankets and a bottle of brandy.
Mark GibsonIn March, then-Police Chief Dennis Maddux - who technically held the post for only one day - was placed on leave after his affair with a subordinate officer's wife was uncovered. An internal investigation, overseen by the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office, concluded that he lied to investigators.
Gibson was named acting chief, and Maddux retired in May in lieu of firing. He admitted no wrongdoing.
Council members began demanding a stop to the series of unsavory revelations. On numerous occasions, Councilman Richard Banks has called for an end to "inappropriate behavior" by police officers that has embarrassed the city and put the department "on the front pages of the newspaper."
Casteel hired former TBI Director Larry Wallace to make recommendations for setting the department back on track.
In his six months as acting chief, Gibson has dealt with several controversies involving police officers' behavior, starting with disciplining the officer whose wife was involved with Maddux, Jeffrey Griggs, and that officer's friend, Lt. Steve Tyson.
In the last two months, four Cleveland police officers have been placed under investigation.
Officers Carlton Walls and Chad Nave are on unpaid leave over allegations they had extramarital affairs with two women they met in the line of duty - one when she filed a domestic abuse report and the other while she participated in a police ride-along program.
Sgt. Eddie Bonnett resigned in late August, following allegations that he texted "inappropriate" photos to a subordinate female police officer.
On Sept. 16, Officer Edwin Millan was indicted and arrested in connection to charges of insurance fraud over $10,000 related to the theft and arson of his personal car.
In a recent meeting with the Cleveland City Council, Gibson cautioned them that similar challenges may occur in the future.
"We're going to have other people who do stupid things - that's just part of it," said Gibson, citing a small percentage of officers who make the rest of the department look bad.
In the end, the police department must demonstrate that it is willing to confront and address those problems, he said.
Hughes said Saturday that now is "the time to get above the fray" of turmoil.
The council is considering a comprehensive overhaul of the city's personnel policy and Banks has said he hopes revised policies will give Gibson better tools for handling disciplinary processes.
Banks praised Gibson on Saturday.
"I have been impressed with the way Mark Gibson has been able to lead the 95 percent of the Cleveland Police Department officers who want to do the job of protecting our citizens and go home to their families at the end of the day," said Banks.
Having served as acting chief in late 2014 while then-Chief David Bishop took an extended medical leave, then again when the Maddux scandal broke, Gibson has now logged nearly 12 months of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Cleveland Police Department.
Gibson said that he expects his leadership role will have a "different dynamic" than that of the department's chief caretaker.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.