The empty post of West Wendover Police chief will remain vacant at least another month said City Clerk Anna Bartolome, Wednesday.
According to confidential sources the council was supposed to appoint the new police chief this Tuesday, but instead voted to increase the pay scale of the still empty position.
The now approved rise in pay could either indicate that the presumptive candidate has agreed to take the job providing the pay was increased or perhaps the council was responding to declines from all top three candidates.
West Wendover has been without a Chief of Police since the retirement of Ron Supp last November.
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.
A mont ago the selction committee composed of West Wendover Mayor Emily Carter, 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 interviewed the top ten applicants for the job and cut the list to three.
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.
Neither of the two locals who applied for the position: acting chief Sndra Gunter or Elko Deputy T.K. Haslam, made the short list.
The outright dismissal of both 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.
“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.”
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.
This city loves to spend money, but they can’t even afford to empty the city trash cans that overflow more than once every two weeks.
We have 2 Qualified People in Town. We Elected a Inexperienced Judge. What’s Wrong with Wendover ?