June 29, 2001

Finding a chief is puzzling

This is not a case of too many chiefs and too few Indians.

It's more like no chief, with no Indians eligible to apply.

The position of chief of police in Tiffin -- open since Tom Steyer became sheriff at the beginning of the year -- is proving a difficult one to fill.

The chosen candidate from a first round of interviews decided to decline the job.

The pay was subsequently raised, but sufficient candidates are not responding to a search by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

The City Council's Personnel and Labor relations Committee is trying to decide if the pay is too low, the requirements too high or if the search needs to be more dynamic.

The problem is puzzling.

The pay was raised in the middle of the hiring of Steyer, and again in the midst of this search.

And leading this department should be desirable. The Tiffin police have had an enviable reputation for years.

It may be a matter of waiting long enough to find the right person.

If money is the obstacle, something other than the chief's rate of pay could be involved. It just might be that compensation for senior officers has improved enough in recent years that people in those positions are unwilling to take on the headaches of being chief for a modest difference in pay.