Once the Columbia City Council finalizes the appointment of John Glascock as the new city manager, one of his first tasks will be to appoint a new police chief.
Former Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton resigned in December. In January, Glascock named Geoff Jones the city's interim police chief. On Monday, Glascock said he was uncertain if there would be a lengthy national search for a permanent chief, but he and city council members also said they want to foster a diverse workplace within the top levels of city government.
Jones has received high praise from both the Columbia Police Officers' Association and Race Matters, Friends, a Columbia non-profit devoted to racial justice. Previously, council members said they wanted to get the city manager position filled before naming a new police chief.
During a news conference Monday, Glascock said he does not have a timetable for naming a new police chief, nor did he say if the city needs to conduct a search in light of the high praise for Jones. Instead, he wants feedback from the council to see what they want in a new police chief.
"While they can't hire the person, they can give input to it," Glascock said. "Geoff is a great, great police chief as he's shown the past few months, but I want to give the process its due as well."
The CPOA praised the decision to hire Glascock in a news release Monday.
"John Glascock has consistently demonstrated his personal commitment to the ongoing success of the City of Columbia and the well-being of the people who live and work here," the association said.
Earlier this month, Fire Chief Randy White announced his intent to retire Oct. 4 after 21 years as a firefighter. Glascock did not give a timeline for announcing White's replacement.
Former Columbia Finance Director Michele Nix left her post in August when she took a job out of state. Glascock also said Monday that hiring a new finance director will be a high priority for him.
Glascock told members of the public last week that he planned to appoint five department heads from diverse backgrounds if he was named city manager.
Some members of the community expressed frustration that the search for a city manager ended again with two white, male finalists. Race Matters, Friends prodded the city to release a list with the demographics of the candidates.
Council members lauded the process of selecting a new city manager, which they said took into account the public's concerns. First Ward Councilman Clyde Ruffin said the council searched for a city manager who shared the vision for the community that residents have.
Of the 33 candidates who applied, just two were female, and just six were people of color, said Mayor Brian Treece.
"The sad reality is the pipeline for diverse, qualified applicants for city managers is less than 13 percent," Treece said. "So it's a struggle that all cities face in that fight for equity."
Diversifying the cabinet of department heads can help create more diversity in leadership positions within city government and help Glascock fill his blind spots, Treece said.
"I think we're all unanimous with respect to that diversity yields better results," Treece said.
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