The Board of Public Works and Safety approved the nomination of Rick Munt as chief of the Madison Police Department during its Dec. 1 meeting. Munt had been serving as interim chief and was formally nominated by the mayor; the board approved the nomination by voice vote.

Chief Munt thanked the board and described recent department upgrades, including ruggedized in‑vehicle computers, new body cameras and new tasers. He said the department is actively hiring and aims to fill five vacancies, with recruits expected to begin academy training in January and bolster staffing by summer.

Munt introduced two senior officers who will serve as assistant chiefs—Ricky Harris (with service beginning in 2009 per Munt’s remarks) and Kyle Cutshall—saying the two‑assistant‑chief structure is intended to bolster administrative support and investigative leadership. The mayor announced a swearing‑in ceremony for the three officials at the city council meeting the following night.

Board members praised the leadership changes and thanked department staff for their service; no dissent or objection to the nomination was recorded.