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Residents and officers press Fort Pierce commission to reconsider police chief shortlist; commissioners debate process
Summary
Dozens of residents and current and retired officers urged the commission to include local candidates in the police chief process and to delay any final action until the commission is fully seated; the city manager defended a national search and scheduled public meet-and-greets and commissioner interviews with three finalists.
Dozens of Fort Pierce residents and members of the police department urged the City Commission on Dec. 1 to reconsider the city manager's shortlist in the police chief search and to restore local candidates to the finalist pool.
At public comment, Ellen Gillette said the city's consulting firm initially shortlisted seven candidates and that the city later narrowed that list to three finalists "by a single interview, and all three local candidates were dismissed." She asked the commission to "delay the final decision until there's a full commission so that District 2 is properly represented." Several other speakers echoed that call, saying promotion from within would protect morale and continuity.
Retired Sergeant Dennis McWilliams and other former and current officers described long service by internal candidates and criticized the speed of the pruning process. "If it's loyalty, experience, and education, the man to hire is right here in his own backyard," McWilliams said, urging the commission to give internal candidates a chance to make their case.
City Manager Mister Chess defended the process as an impartial national recruitment run with a professional search firm. He told commissioners the search yielded a large national pool, the recruiter vetted candidates and the manager selected three finalists for in-person interviews. Jared Sorensen, the city's HR manager, said the three finalists will appear at a public meet-and-greet at the Riverwalk Center and will then meet individually with commissioners in a series of interviews beginning Wednesday; the manager's office will debrief with the search firm before a recommendation is made to the commission.
Commissioners were sharply divided on whether the internal candidate Deputy Chief Caleb Gillette should be added back into the finalist pool. Commissioner Broderick asked that Gillette be allowed to present to the commission; Broderick argued Gillette's 24 years of service and an endorsement from the police union merit at least an interview. Commissioner Gaines and others expressed concern that adding one candidate after a national vetting would set a precedent and said the charter gives the city manager responsibility for the appointment with commission approval.
Mayor Hudson and other commissioners said they would meet the finalists and expect to weigh the manager's recommendation when the item returns. HR said the public meet-and-greet and scheduled interviews allow commissioners and the public to question the finalists; the manager will bring a recommendation to the commission for ratification, per the charter. The commission did not take a final hiring vote on Dec. 1; it rejected motions that would have forced immediate changes to the shortlist and directed staff to proceed with the published schedule for interviews and the public event.
What happens next: A public meet-and-greet for the three finalists is scheduled at the Riverwalk Center the evening after the meeting; commissioners will interview finalists in a morning session, the search firm and manager will debrief, and the manager is expected to present a recommendation to the commission for a vote.
