Statesboro seeks community input on next police chief

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - Statesboro’s police chief is retiring and hanging up his badge on July 1, and the city asked residents who should replace him.

After nine years leading Statesboro’s Police Department, Chief Mike Broadhead is stepping down. The city is weighing resident input as the search begins.

A town hall meeting Monday gave residents a chance to share what they’re looking for in their next leader. Their main concern is finding a community-first leader.

“I think we really need a chief who is genuinely interested in community policing,” said Marieke Van Willigen, a resident.

The city of Statesboro is partnering with Developmental Associates, a search firm that assisted in hiring Chief Broadhead. A firm consultant posed questions to residents to get a better feel for what they think the next chief needs to bring to the table.

A shared want is a chief who will live up to Broadhead’s personal approach to policing.

“Just be out in the community, so the community knows your face, and be accessible to the community. I have Chief Broadhead’s cell phone number as well as a lot of people do,” said Len Fatica, a resident.

Speakers expressed concerns over violence, drug use, the treatment of residents with disabilities and the need to find a leader who will serve all city residents, regardless of background.

Another shared want is someone who will win the trust of the city’s most vulnerable.

“The children, they need help, they need to know that the police department is there to help them more than hurt them,” said Gary Lewis, a resident and retired Statesboro police officer.

The firm will use Monday’s feedback to build a specialized interview process and scoring system for the nationwide search.

While residents expressed seeing the pros of getting new eyes on the department, they also see the positives in hiring from within.

“I think it’s time to get a chief here, a local chief, someone that knows the people and the people know him,” Lewis said. “We can do a job as well as anybody else.”

Residents said they’re comfortable with the process and glad they had a voice in it.

“We know the need better than our politicians basically because we’re out on, you know, we’re in the streets dealing with it,” Fatica said.

After interviews wrap and scores are tallied, Statesboro City Manager Charles Penny will help decide who will move forward in the process to become Statesboro’s next police chief.