Police Chief Choice Looms in Chester Borough

Written by Nancy D'Uva

Chester Borough is inching closer to hiring a new police chief.

At its July 16 regular meeting, the Mayor and Council decided to have
a special meeting on Aug. 13 at 6 p.m., at which the personnel
committee will interview the two candidates and the rest of the
council can observe the process.

They also decided that on Aug. 20 at 4:30 p.m., before its regular council
meeting that night, the whole council will then have the opportunity
to ask questions of the candidates, Sergeant David Jara, the current
officer in charge, and Sergeant Tim Carey.

“The committee thought instead of the personnel committee coming back
and reporting to the council, we would invite them so they’d hear the
responses to the questions that the personnel committee put together,”
said Mayor Bob Davis.

Councilwoman and chair of the public safety committee Janet Hoven had
presented a timeline for the appointing of a new chief on June 18.
This timeline included interviews with the personnel committee and the
council, essay questions, and possible interviews with local police
chiefs.
Council President Tim Iversen questioned the need to have two
interview processes. In response, Councilman Gary Marshuetz, who
serves on the public safety and personnel committees, explained how
that decision was reached.

“We’re trying to have a very structured interview process,” Marshuetz
said. “We’re going to have that with just the committee, without the
council. Then we’ll have another interview process with the whole
council. While we were in our meeting two days ago, we thought that
this is such an important decision and a lot of information might pass
during the personnel committee interview process, that maybe we should
consider having the council come as observers.”

Davis said that after the personnel committee interviews,
councilmembers can forward additional questions to Borough
Administrator Valerie Egan, who would then forward the questions to
Borough Attorney Brian Mason.

“The first interviews will spark more questions,” Davis said. “I think
it’s a great process.”

The Mayor and Council were still undecided on whether they would have
another set of interviews conducted by other police chiefs. The
borough can hire members of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs
of Police or have local volunteer chiefs conduct these interviews.

Former Police Chief Andre Kedrowitsch retired on June 30. Jara was
named the officer in charge the next day.