Search narrows for city's top cop
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily.
A recent Nelson Police board meeting has narrowed the field of candidates for the soon-to-be vacant chief of police position, but there are still four names vying for the job as the city’s top cop.
No one has been singled out from the lineup that began with 15 applicants six months ago said Mayor John Dooley, the chair of the police board.
“We’re not going to be forced into a decision based on the timeline because we need to fill that position,” he said. “Let’s face it, we want to try and find people that are a right fit for our community, as well as going to be committed to our community.”
There is a lot of new stuff that is coming down the pipe around law enforcement, community safety and how it is managed, said Mayor Dooley.
“We want to be sure we are putting someone in there that has the kind of experience that can deliver a model that takes into account our unique demographics,” he said.
The delay could mean the city will be without a chief when current police chief Dan Maluta retires at the end of January, said Mayor Dooley.
A deputy chief, Henry Paivarinta, will be installed in that advent, in order to buy the board more time to make its decision, or to cast its net a little further afield.
Applications have come from across Canada and the U.S. It is possible the new chief could come from outside of the region, said Mayor Dooley.
editor@thenelsondaily.com
