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Chief finalists 'very qualified'

Doug Flanagan/Post-Register
Oct. 15, 2009

From left to right, Richard Ackerman, James Speros, William Musser and Steven Harris answer questions during a community forum last Friday night.

At a community forum held Friday night at city hall chambers, the four final candidates for Quincy’s vacant police chief position all proved themselves to be experienced, intelligent and engaging, and expressed a profound desire to return to small-town community policing after having spent parts of their careers working in bigger cities.

A panel consisting of city employees, city councilmembers and community members interviewed the finalists at length on Saturday and submitted their selection to mayor Jim Hemberry soon thereafter.

Hemberry said the panel’s selected choice will be announced later this week.

“They made a recommendation, and we’ll do a preliminary background investigation and make an offer at that point,” he said. “We thought the whole process went well. There was good public participation Friday night, and it was good to have the public input from the panels on Saturday. It’s exciting (to be getting close to getting a new chief); we’re looking forward to it.”

After the four candidates concluded their presentations and question-and-answer sessions Friday night, Hemberry noted the quality of candidates with distinction.

“They all have their different areas of expertise,” he said, “but they all have one thing in common: they all have respect for the people who work for them and the people they work for — you (the public). The selection committee has a very difficult job ahead of it. All four candidates are very qualified for the position.”

James Speros was the first to speak. Speros recently spent two years as a contract professional police mentor in the Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan and retired from the San Francisco Police Department after a 29-year policing career. He has also developed a strategic plan for community policing that he said has met with much success.

“I like to find the cause to a problem, not just a symptom,” he said. “I like to find out from who’s been directly affected. In terms of vandalism and gang activity, I’ve developed some innovative strategies that have really helped. The community plan has been a springboard for grants.

“Everyone here has the same common goals. Nobody wants to worry about gang activity, burglary, theft, dangerous driving. I see trends, and they’re cyclic. To me, the best cycle is for these things to go down and stay down. If we work together, things can be great. My vision is, let’s make things better for our children and grandchildren.”

Speros said he wants to come to Quincy because it reminds him of where he was raised.

“For me, it’s a chance to go back home,” he said. “The town I grew up in had about 750 people, and it was great because it was like a big family. I really feel that you learn more in a small town and do more quality policing because you can’t hide and you have to do more. I see potential here; this is a tremendous area. I see a lot of good things in the future here, and I want to be a part of it.”

Speros said the biggest challenge he’d face as Quincy’s police chief is getting the community involved in policing.

“I want to bring my vision to Quincy,” he said. “I don’t see this as a step down. I see this as a step up because this is where the basics of good policing can be conducted. If we bring in the community, we can feed off each other and feel a positive energy. They can feel good about coming to the police department, and we can foster a holistic approach. This is a microcosm in the United States of what good policing is supposed to look like.”

The next candidate, William Musser, is currently an adult protection investigator for the Southwest Idaho Area III Agency on Aging. He retired as police chief from the city of Meridian, Idaho, where he served as chief from 2003 to 2007.

“I see a lot of growth potential here,” he said. “Meridian grew a lot while I was there, so I understand how growth can change the dynamics of a town, and I’ve seen police departments move away from small town rural contact. I want to get back to community policing. I want to give back and serve a community in need. I plan to live here, I plan to be involved and I want to listen to and interact with the community.

“The only way to solve anything is to get together and find out what the problem is. I can’t do it alone. I need (the community’s) help. I bring experience, knowledge and a desire to succeed. Does (the public) want to contribute? Together we can do it, whether it’s drugs, gangs or vandalism.”

Musser said he wants to come to Quincy because it will give him a chance to meet his professional goals.

“After I retired, I knew I wanted to go back to work, and I asked myself, ‘What do I like best about policing?’” he said. “I liked the family environment and the closeness that a small community can provide. You’re not just running from call to call; you have a chance to get involved. That’s when the light bulb came over my head and I figured out that community policing is what I wanted to return to. Quincy offers community policing at its purest.”

Musser said the biggest challenge he’d face as Quincy’s chief is improving the morale of the department itself.

“We need to address the department first,” he said, “and put faith back into the department. We need to let the officers know they are valued for the job they do, that they do have an impact in the community. They have to know they are making a difference.”

Steven Harris, the next speaker, recently retired as chief of Redmond’s police department, a job he held since 1981.

“I’ve actually been a victim of crime in Grant County twice, so I know how (the public) feels,” he said. “I know what has to be done here to have a safe community. You have to work well with the officers and the staff and other agencies.

“I think there should be a community police advisory board that could bring problems to the department. I’d be real open to that. I’d also like to work well in the private sector, with partnerships. I’d like to bring the whole community together.”

Harris said he wants to come to Quincy because the area has a lot to offer.

“When I started to learn about Quincy, I knew I would love to be chief here,” he said.

Harris said the biggest challenge he’d face as Quincy’s police chief is working with other agencies to understand problems that are affecting the community.

“Theft, burglary drugs, speeding issues — we all share the wealth because we are all dealing with the same suspects,” he said. “Crime is all related. We need to work with the (other agencies) to develop our information, strategy and tactics.”

The final candidate to speak, Richard Ackerman, retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a lieutenant. He subsequently accepted a position as a captain with the California State University Police Department. He then worked for a short time as deputy chief of the Ardmore Police Department in Oklahoma.

“I’m an outgoing, involved individual who takes an active, hands-on approach to law enforcement,” he said. “I enjoy the interaction with the officers and civilians I talk with.”

Ackerman said he wants to come to Quincy because he spent a portion of his childhood in eastern Washington and would relish the chance to return to the area.

“This is a great time for me to come here. I enjoy being a leader,” he said. “This reminds me of the small towns I lived in. I’ve had enough of big cities. I like the area personally.”

Ackerman said the biggest challenge he’d face as Quincy’s police chief is dealing with people on an individual basis.

“If we have people willing to do their jobs, there’s not a crime that can’t be solved,” he said. “It’s all about the people. My focus is involved on individuals.”

The candidates then fielded a variety of questions from audience members on topics such as officer retention, working in the field and availability, applying for grants, professional department standards, police visibility and relationships with media.