The three finalists for police chief in Cleveland, Tenn., will be interviewed Wednesday.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The three finalists for Cleveland’s next police chief will be interviewed on Wednesday – and the public is invited to watch the process.
The finalists, identified by Cleveland Assistant City Manager Melinda Carroll, are Jessie Brooks, a captain with the Tennessee Highway Patrol; Timothy Christol, Red Bank police chief; and Mark Gibson, who has been interim chief since March.
The interviews will begin at 9 a.m. and will be conducted in the Police Service Center courtroom by a panel that includes City Manager Janice Casteel, law enforcement consultant Larry Wallace, Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn and Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce board President Robert Bradney.
Members of the public may not attend the interviews in person, but will be able to view them via live broadcast in the City Council Room of the Cleveland Municipal Building, Carroll said.
The public is encouraged to submit interview questions to Wallace’s email address – lwallace@clevelandtn.gov – until noon Tuesday, Casteel said in a statement Friday.
The interview order will be determined randomly, Carroll said. Each interview is expected to last about 50 minutes or so, with short breaks between candidates, she said.
The finalists, culled from a group of 36 applicants, each described their suitability to serve as the next chief of the Cleveland Police Department.
Brooks – who has spent most of his 40-year law enforcement career with the Tennessee Highway Patrol – said in his application letter that he sees the transition to chief as a second career. He has been a THP captain since 2013.
“Due to the Tennessee Highway Patrol having a mandatory retirement at age 60, I am searching for a position where I can continue to serve the public for many years to come and continue my lifelong ambition to keep the safety of the citizens of Tennessee at the forefront,” Brooks stated in the application.
Christol, who has been Red Bank’s chief since 2010, cited 36 years of law enforcement experience in his application.
“Nearly four decades as a law enforcement professional has provided me the education and experience necessary to move the city forward through efficient and effective, yet creative and innovative law enforcement strategies,” he said.
Gibson, an 18-year Cleveland Police Department veteran, said in his application he has “led the department during some of the most difficult times in its history.”
He has spent much of the last 12 months in charge of day-to-day operations. In September 2014, he was appointed acting chief during the extended medical leave of then-Chief David Bishop, who retired earlier this year.
Gibson again was placed in charge when Dennis Maddux – who technically only served as chief for one day after serving a few months as interim chief – was demoted in March after a highly publicized sex scandal involving a subordinate officer’s wife. Maddux retired in lieu of termination in May after an internal investigation found he violated policy and lied to investigators.
Wallace has described the next police chief as a “crucial and ultimately pivotal appointment” for the department as well as the residents of Cleveland.
Cleveland’s next police chief is expected to be in place by Oct. 1, Wallace said.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.