Safety committee reviews hiring procedures for next city police chief

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 10 p.m. (UPDATED to add meeting video, July 27, 2016) — The next chief of the Bardstown Police Department will be selected using procedures adapted from those provided by the Kentucky League of Cities.

Mayor John Royalty speaks during the Bardstown City Council safety committee meeting Tuesday evening.

Human Resource Director Larry Green told the city council’s safety committee Tuesday that an appointed search committee will use an eight-step plan in reviewing applications and narrowing down their selection of chief candidates.

The committee will include two council members (Councilmen Bill Buckman and Roland Williams); one police department representative (either acting Chief McKenzie Mattingly or Lt. Brad Gillock); local attorney Mike Coen; a citizen member, Teresa Maddox; and a police professional from another police department. Green will act as a staff person on the committee.

The police chief job posting will be advertised in both state newspapers as well with the Kentucky League of Cities, the state police chief’s website and others.

The committee will review the applications, interview approximately 10 applicants and then select the top three applicants to forward to the mayor for his final selection. The mayor will hire the chief with approval from the council.

The process will take approximately three to four months, Green explained.

“It makes sense to go through this process deliberately and involve this committee in the process,” he said.

The committee agreed to inform the council of the hiring process at that evening’s council meeting.

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