New Hartford delays choice on police chief

Town may look at more candidates

 

By ELIZABETH COOPER

Observer-Dispatch

Posted May 26, 2010 @ 10:21 PM

NEW HARTFORD

Town officials didn’t name a provisional police chief at the Town Board meeting Wednesday evening.

Instead, they announced they would postpone their decision until the next board meeting, which isn't until June 16.

“The board talked about it and decided for a position like this we should look at more than four applicants,” Town Supervisor Patrick Tyksinski said after the meeting.

The provisional chief would serve from mid-June until March 2011, when the civil service exam for the chief’s job could be administered. Town officials have said they would like the person who they appoint provisional chief to be the next chief.

Whoever is hired would replace longtime New Hartford Police Chief Raymond Philo, who retired in March.

The board interviewed three applicants last week and a fourth just prior to the board meeting Wednesday.

Board members said, however, that some other candidates had expressed interest in the position after the original deadline passed and they wanted to extend the deadline to June 2.

Board members said the applicants interviewed so far had been very good and one of them still could be hired.

“I think the board’s decision was we wanted to make sure we have a large enough pool to pick from,”  board member David Reynolds said.

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