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The new West Wendover Police Chief will be a stranger.
According to confidential sources close to the selection process neither of the two local applicants for the job, Elko Sheriff’s Deputy T.K. Haslam or acting WWPD Chief Sandra Gunter are among the three finalist for the job that could be filled by next month.
Editors note: in the print and online first edition of this story the Advocate erroneously reported that WWPD Sergeant David Wiskerchen had also applied for the position. That information was incorrect and the Advocate apologizes for the error.
“There are pluses and minuses either way,” said an observer to the selection committee. “Someone local knows the town and the people but on the other hand might be too ingrained to see the problems or the solutions. An outsider would bring a fresh perspective but on the other hand they would have a learning curve to over come.”
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The outright dismissal of all three local candidates before the final selection could be a strong indication that at least the majority of the selection committee believed that a new approach to community policing is necessary.
West Wendover Mayor Emily Carter headed the committee along with retired Wendover, Utah Justice of the Peace LaMar Melville, local business owner and casino executive John Hansen, West Wendover City Councilman Izzy Gutierrez, former city councilman Allen Rowley Jr. and NHP trooper Cezar Arranda.
From a pool of dozens ten finalist were selected for interviews before the full committee each member then ranked the applicants privately and submitted his or her list to the pool. The three highest ranking made the shortlist. The job will be offered to the highest profiled candidate and then if terms cannot be agreed upon to the second or perhaps the third name on the shortlist.
As soon as the position opened with the retirement of Robert Supp last November the city was flooded by dozens of prospective new chiefs.
The attention the job brought was a marked contrast from the time before the position opened in 2004. Then the response was minimal at best and the job went to Supp then a deputy of the Elko County Sheriff’s Department who had been serving as acting WWPD Chief.
The reason for the turn around is perhaps due to an especially weak economy particularly in the public sector and a looming public pension crisis in some cities.
Before the Great Recession of 2007-2010 being a police officer if not a path to immense wealth did mean financial security. But as city after city went bankrupt or slashed budgets the thin blue line got a lot thinner and cities like West Wendover with a relatively healthy tax base became more attractive despite its isolation.
While most applicants for the job came from California or other western states it also drew letters of interest from as far afield as the mid west and the south east.
Whoever is finally picked will come to a department that has not seen a major change in administration in almost a decade and with two of its most senior officers contenders for the position the new chief will hold.
“Yes I am disappointed,” Gunter said. “But I love this department and this city. I will be happy to give the new chief my total support.”
In addition to winning over his new department, the new chief will have to build bridges in the community.
Supp, his predecessor, came into conflict with just about everyone. He crossed the casinos by setting up tourist jay walking stings and by proposing all alcohol servers including bartenders and cocktail waitresses and waiters undergo police back ground checks.
He alienated the Hispanic community by having his officers actively participate in raid by Immigration that came with an assault helicopter. The action virtually shut down Wendover and led to the arrest of just ten suspects. Two of whom were released the same day after they could prove they were not illegal aliens.
The animosity that raid created may explain why when a serial petty criminal Trucker Morales slipped his bonds and escaped police custody after his arrest a year later he became a something of folk hero allegedly aided in his 30 days on the lam by the community.
The new chief’s biggest challenge might however be with the business community. Supp and his officers often tangled with many of them most prominently the owner of the local strip club and the owner of the adult book/video/ lingerie store.
Supp’s fight were not however just contained to the sin businesses he went head to head against the Wendover Ambulance company and then complained to the city council about the ‘unfair’ coverage he was receiving from the High Desert Advocate he also went after then Mayor Donnie Anderson by e-mailing a news release the Friday before Labor Day that Anderson was under investigation for an unspecified crime and only after the holiday concluded clarified that the Mayor was involved in a shouting match with the local high school football coach.
