Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay among seven finalists for Austin, Texas, job
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is a finalist for the top police job in Austin, Texas.
The city of Austin on Monday released a list of the top contenders to fill its police chief position. Ramsay, who has led the Wichita Police Department for five years, is among seven of 46 applicants to advance, according to a news release.
The Eagle last month reported that Ramsay had applied for the job, which was left open by the departure of Chief Brian Manley. He announced his retirement in February amid complaints about potentially abusive use of force against racial-justice protesters. Ramsay was the police chief in Duluth, Minnesota, before he was hired as Wichita police chief in 2015.
In a statement issued last month, Ramsay said he is “very happy living and working in Wichita” and that his decision to apply for the Austin police chief position “was difficult, as I love Wichita, the WPD staff, and this community.”
Austin’s city manager hopes to announce a new chief sometime next month, the release says. The city plans to interview its finalists in the coming weeks.
The new Austin chief will oversee more than 1,800 sworn officers and more than 700 non-sworn professional staff members. The Austin Police Department has a $240.8 million budget.
The city, which is the state’s capital, has more than twice the population of Wichita.
“Like many major cities in America, Austin is reimagining how it provides public safety services,” the news release says. “Austin is approaching this process in a methodical and strategic approach, and the next Chief of Police will begin their duties during a period of intense change for the Austin Police Department (APD).
“The challenges and opportunities related to this initiative alone are many. The Chief of Police will help APD and the City adapt and emerge from reimagining law enforcement in a manner that improves public safety for all who visit, live, and work in Austin.”
Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk said in the release that he is “excited about the diverse slate of individuals” in the running for the job and looks “forward to discussing with them how we can accomplish the goals of the community and the City Council.”
The field of candidates was narrowed with the help of a public survey that asked Austin residents what they want to see in a police chief and input from various community groups.
In addition to Ramsay, the other contenders for job are:
- Joseph Chacon, who is now serving as interim police chief for the Austin department and who served as assistant chief for nearly five years before his appointment
- Anne Kirkpatrick, who has 38 years working in policing at eight agencies. She has served as the chief of police of four. She is also a licensed attorney
- Avery Moore, a 30-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department and its assistant chief
- Celeste Murphy, deputy chief of the Atlanta Police Department and a member of that force since 1997
- Mirtha Ramos, chief of the DeKalb County, Georgia, Police Department. She’s worked in policing since 1997
- Emada Tingirides, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief who joined the agency in 1995
Contributing: Dion Lefler of The Wichita Eagle
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
