West Concord narrowing down police chief candidates

West Concord officials are narrowing down their search for a full time police chief. City Council members decided at their December to consider moving from a part time to a full time chief. 
West Concord is one of two Dodge County municipalities that has its own Police Department. With the exception of West Concord and Kasson, all county cities contract law enforcement to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.
At the December West Concord Council meeting councilmembers discussed the pros and cons of having a fulltime officer and a part time chief with having a full time chief. The city has found it difficult to keep a full time officer as the position is often seen as a chance to gain experience before moving on to a larger agency.
The city has been advertising for a full time chief, said City Administrator Michael Plante.
“I’ve been impressed by the applicants,” Plante said. The applicants have been narrowed to three, he said, who were scheduled to meet with a citizen committee Tuesday night. The meeting was to be an opportunity for both sides to ask questions.
Plante said that after the Tuesday night meeting the committee would relay information to the council. Plante said he expected the city would likely narrow it down to two candidates for interviews with the council. The West Concord City Council is scheduled to meet Thursday night.
The position is being advertised as paying $55,000 if the chief does not live in West Concord and $60,000 if he or she does live in the city. Plante said that while a city cannot require an employee to live in the city it can offers incentives to do so.
If the chief chose not to live in West Concord he or she would have live in an area that would permit a response time established by the city.
Many West Concord residents, Plante said, have indicated they would like the police chief to be a city resident.
All three of the applicants to be interviewed by the citizen committee, Plante said, have ties to West Concord.
The city will continue using part time officers after a full time chief is hired, Plante said.
Dodge County deputies also respond to calls if a West Concord officer is not available or if additional help is requested by the city.