A deputy police chief in Wichita has removed his name from the list of finalists for Lawrence police chief.
Tom Stolz, a deputy chief in Wichita
Tom Stolz said Monday that he had withdrawn his name from consideration, based mainly on the effect the state budget crisis is having on the prospect for teaching jobs. He said he visited with Lawrence and area school officials, who painted a bleak picture for being able to hire teachers in the next two years.
Stolz’s wife, who teaches in the Renwick district west of Wichita, has been in the profession for 24 years.
“After much thought and discussion, I will not ask my wife to give up her teaching tenure and career even to get what I deem to be the best chief of police job in the state of Kansas,” Stolz wrote in a letter to David Corliss, Lawrence’s city manager.
Stolz, who heads Wichita’s investigations division, was one of five finalists the city publicly identified in January. He said he notified Lawrence officials of his decision before Thursday’s interviews because he did not want the city to incur expenses on his behalf.
The remaining four finalists are Brian Jackson, a Lincoln, Neb., police captain; Mark Kessler, an Overland Park deputy chief; Tarik Khatib, Lawrence’s interim chief; and Clark Morrow, an Olathe police captain.
The city has been looking for a new police chief since Ron Olin, who led the department since 1987, retired from the city in September and became the director of security and internal controls at Kansas Athletics Inc.
The four candidates are scheduled to be in Lawrence Thursday, and members of the public can meet them during an open house from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Building, 200 W. Ninth St.
The candidates also are scheduled to tour Lawrence that day and interview with committees that include members of the public, city employees and other officials. Corliss said he expected to announce his choice for chief later this month.
After the open house, Corliss said members of the public are encouraged to provide confidential e-mail feedback to dcorliss@lawrenceks.org on the candidates, provided that the messages include the community member’s name and contact information in case any follow up conversation is needed.
Comments
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
....Tom Stolz of Wichita had withdrawn his name from the Lawrence selection process “due to personal reasons.”
It does get personal when you consider the people of Lawrence are critical of the lack of a Citizens Review Board.
Fatty_McButterpants 2 years, 4 months ago
Perhaps he withdrew because the people of Lawrence think they know how to do everyone else's job better? Or perhaps it's because the people of Lawrence want every little detail, of every investigation, disclosed to them as soon as LPD learns of it?
notyourmom 2 years, 4 months ago
I'm with Fatty. I assumed we didn't live up to Tom's standards, not the other way around.
toe 2 years, 4 months ago
Former police office Mike Hall would have been a tremendous Chief.
ramp 2 years, 4 months ago
Based on my research Tarik Khatib is the best man for the job.
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
Please, elaborate on your research.
ramp 2 years, 4 months ago
Based on my research Tarik Khatib is the best man for the job.
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
CRB. complete with investigative and subpoena powers so that the city commission and city manager can no longer hide/protect the illegal activities.
Fatty_McButterpants 2 years, 4 months ago
Ohhh... so you want a witch hunt! I bet you and Joseph McCarthy would've gotten along quite well.
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
Equal enforcement of the laws or change the laws and not after someone is framed.
The term McCarthyism, coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist activities. Today the term is used more generally in reference to demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.
I've always called the corruption in the local LE political as well as what the city manager and commission do to protect the status quo. Well I'll be, that's McCarthyism?
Fatty_McButterpants 2 years, 4 months ago
Smitty, you think that everything the LPD does is either a cover-up or corruption, because of your friend Greg. Nothing you do or say is in the interests of equal enforcement.
Crazy_Larry 2 years, 4 months ago
If no CRB, then buy personal video cameras for each and every cop. That would be a good step in the right direction towards transparency and accountablility from our police.
http://www.digitalallyinc.com/personal-camera.html
lawrencerulz 2 years, 4 months ago
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smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
Citizens review board will work to clean up the institutionalised corruption.........
Idiocy comments like witch hunts and McCarthyism and your warped view of equal enforcement avoids the issues of the known problems with the LPD and the city oversight.
I've only been following the publically apparent illegal activity of the LPD since the Sevier cover up, almost twenty years ago....the LPD has a corrupted reputation that they have earned, mostly from the initiative of middle and higher ranks........we police our own, correct?.
Crazy_Larry 2 years, 4 months ago
If no CRB, then buy personal video cameras for each and every cop. That would be a good step in the right direction towards transparency and accountablility from our police.
http://www.digitalallyinc.com/persona...
Crazy_Larry 2 years, 4 months ago
http://www.digitalallyinc.com/personal-camera.html
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
How would that stop the city manager and city commission form their actions to hide the problems with the LPD?
Part of the dynamics of the CRB is also to stop the collusion.
...There was a rumor about an investigation of Olin and the LPD from the YH complaints of corruption. To dispel the rumor I questioned commissioner MIke Amyx to over the rumored investigation into Olin and the LPD by a higher outside legal authority. He stated that the matter was being handled through the city manager's office as a personnel issue, thus, confidential..
Cameras do not stop the systemic corruption.
sr80 2 years, 4 months ago
i wonder if maricopa sheriff joe arpaio from arizona would be interested in this job?i think he would be great for some real controversy with the crb...
artichokeheart 2 years, 4 months ago
A review board would be good if only to enhance communications. As for the selection process it is a waste of time. Just a formality. He who exists will remain. The sevier case is a shame that will not soon be forgotten but it has nothing to do with the current selection process
smitty 2 years, 4 months ago
The city commission continues with their scams is what I think you are saying with the.... no outside hire..just going through the motions..Khalib wil lbe our chief..no outsiders.
Khalib was mentored by Olin and history has shown that there will not be a hire from outside. LPD continues with BAU from prior to Sevier's killing to current events, as does the city commissioners personnel privacy cover up practices on the LPD's illegal actions.
Auditor Engliski hasn't completed an audit that was asked for as the first and pressing matter over the LPD after his hire. Two years later, still no audit of the LPD.
If you think a little more, there are other obvious reasons for a CRB. City over sight problems with the LPD has been consistently present during all those years since Sevier's killing and cover up.
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