Holyoke — The finalist for the position of Police Chief will be interviewed by Mayor Joshua A. Garcia in a public session on Thursday, December 5, at 4 p.m. The interview will be conducted in City Council Chambers at Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight Street. The interview will conclude a competitive selection process facilitated by Public Safety Consultants, LLC.
In late October, the search for a new chief was extended by two weeks after one of the two finalists for the position withdrew his candidacy, according to Garcia. The extended application process closed on November 11. Two candidates for the position were interviewed by the search committee, but neither one was put forward. That left the original finalist — the one who had not withdrawn — still in the running.
Following the retirement of Chief David Pratt, the Mayor’s Office launched a search for a successor. Mayor Garcia appointed a Search Committee, composed of city officials, community leaders, and law enforcement personnel. The position was advertised, and applications were invited. Resumes were collected and screened by the committee. The process included a public listening session and public surveys. Candidates were selected to receive essay questions. Those essays were collected and reviewed. Those who made it past that round were invited for oral interviews by members of the committee. The next step was an assessment exercise. Only one candidate participated, as the other withdrew. The final step is the public interview conducted by Mayor Garcia.
Holyoke’s Personnel Director, Kelly Curran, oversaw the search process.
“After a very diligent interview process, the Chief of Police Search Committee feels that the candidate who has passed all the rounds should be interviewed by Mayor Garcia,” Curran said.
Mayor Garcia invites residents to attend the December 5 interview in person. Residents who are unable to attend in person are welcome to join via Holyoke Media on cable Channel 15 and streamed live at: https://boxcast.tv/channel/d0fbxuecgtqbfmbop6ax.
Interviews will take place at Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St, City Council Chambers and can also be accessed remotely via www.zoom.us https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89333587055?pwd=cFQBVKK85wAOyDwvjXIGL68IXHxdPS.1
Meeting ID: 893 3358 7055 Meeting Passcode: 381900 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with same Meeting ID and Passcode.