Here are more comments from Wichitans weighing in on the ideal police chief candidate
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What does Wichita want in its next police chief?
With Police Chief Gordon Ramsay’s upcoming resignation, people in Wichita are already thinking about what qualities and priorities the next top cop should have.
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Here’s a sampling of what citizens who completed The Wichita’s Eagle’s voluntary, online community survey said they wanted in their next police chief. The short, non-scientific, open-ended questionnaire asked for opinions on ideal qualities and background, priorities and whether the city should hire from within its ranks or outside of the department.
Quotes may be edited for length and clarity. Many of the nearly 50 residents who responded asked that their names not be published.
What background and experience should Wichita’s next police chief have?
“They need to be a seasoned veteran street cop with at least 10-15 years experience out on the streets working a beat, not one who has made their way up the ranks by riding someone else’s coattail.”
“Promote a talented individual with a record of success and integrity as a patrolman, supervisor, manager and leader in the law enforcement and Wichita community.” - Mark Masterson
“EXACTLY WHAT GORDON RAMSAY HAS.”
“Why not promote an officer from within the department, rather than hiring someone or some company from the outside, which I feel is a total waste of money. I’m sure there are experienced officers who would like to be chief.” - William Moore
“An understanding of human psychology.”
“History of toughness on crime, while utilizing creative and humane approaches to practice.” - Whitney Stevens
“They should be open and honest with the public at all times.”
“Not a politician. Ideally experience managing a department in a crime dense city with a proven record of reducing violent crime. Someone who has effectively adjusted the training protocols of offices to mitigate violent encounters with PD through better trained officers.”
“Someone that has actually battled crime suppression and knows how fight crime.”
“Formal education is not that important for a law enforcement career. Likability, leadership ability and common sense are very important.” - Lawton Dill
What qualities would you like to see in the next police chief?
“Someone who has transparency and not only holds their troops accountable for their actions, but holds him/herself accountable, too.”
“Tough on crime of all types. Petty to felonies. No blind eye to crime.” - Brian McHughes
“I think Chief Ramsay was absolutely perfect and his replacement should possess similar qualities.” - William Moore
“The mass of traffic enforcement/ motorcycle is a waste of money. Put these cops on real crime. We are looking the other way on petty property crimes. (Breaking into cars, shoplifting, etc.) Crack down on these and we will all feel safer.”
“Honesty. No more good ol boys sh--.”
“Openness, willing to help rather than subdue.”
“He must be a man that can work with his officers as well as the public.” - Robert Petersen
“Wichita cops killing civilians needs fixed.” - John Macneil
“Can we clone Gordon Ramsay? They need to be somewhat gregarious and approachable. Intolerant of racism. A natural leader.”
“Police work is difficult. At a moments notice they have to be anything from a social worker to a soldier to an investigator to a medic. They need a leader who understands these varied jobs and also understands that communities want accountability while not sacrificing safety.” - Andrew Davis
What issues should the next chief prioritize, and why?
“I am a white person living in the suburbs and I have lost trust in the department because of the lack of prosecution of police personnel when they act improperly. The worst example was the killing of the person on his front porch in the swatting incident.”
“Training is highly important.”
“Transparency. Stop hiding and protecting the bad cops.”
“Crimes against persons.”
“Force the police to handle everyone the same, stop the militarization of the police force, return to ‘protect and serve.’”
“Neighborhood car vandals — these seem to be young people who can change if scared straight. People work hard for the little they have and vehicles are a mechanism for livelihood that gets us to and from our jobs.”
“1. Evaluation and elimination of white nationalism within the police force. 2. Public transparency with the police union. 3. New policing paradigm where officers work in conjunction with mental health professionals. 4. Support for a national data base on all law enforcement members.”
“LAW AND ORDER first and foremost!”
“Developing and implementing a strong community policing structure that involves other city organizations to help supplement the help that can be directed to helping our citizens.” - Patrick Clough
“Address gangs, strengthen neighborhood policing, especially in troubled areas and work with politicians to achieve mutual goals.”
“Staffing and equipment for officers.” - John Wynstoff
“Downtown homeless is rampant. There needs to be more done to address mental health needs in combination with policing individuals who commit crimes.”
“Staffing crisis as the city grows the police department has not kept up. It takes hours to have an officer respond to calls. This should be unacceptable, and we need to hire more officers ASAP.” - Jon Stewart
“The new chief should be determined to make WPD a national standout and example of what good policing can be.”
Should Wichita hire its next police chief from outside of the department?
“We tried bringing someone from the outside, and it has been a total disaster. There are many capable candidates within the police department. “
“If out of state, rural experience and knowledge would be helpful. But bringing from outside also brings a new perspective of what could change or be improved.” - Marie Dominguez
“If a person presents him/her self with the needed background and qualities, of course promote from within — that local knowledge can be helpful. But don’t be bound by this limitation.” - Al Higdon
“We need a chief that is going to bring new ideas to our community and that is not going to play favoritism.”
“I don’t care where they come from so long as they dismantle the department.”
“The best candidate for the job may already exist within the department. Someone who has ties to the community would be an asset but only if she or he has the other qualities the position requires.” - Barbara Fox
“We’re looking for the most qualified applicant. Doesn’t matter where he’s from.”
“It doesn’t really matter who they hire as long as they are transparent and actually care about the troops and start showing it.”
“The department still needs to continue a path of reform. An internal candidate may want to get things back to old times.” - Ben Horst
Other thoughts?
“Wichita spends an obscene amount of money trying to hire from outside our community and spends money on reports and research telling us how other towns built their waterfronts or downtown areas, as an example. This is really a waste of great local talents within our professions and inhibits creativity — not to mention most of the studies and research we pay for are outdated and unreliable. We need to have original ideas and better critical thinkers.”
“Citizens of Wichita deserve better. The staffing crisis is only going to get worse, which delays response times and kill proactive policing. We need to increase the amount of police officers, detectives, and sergeants to keep growing and providing excellent services to Wichita.”
“We as a city need to work together with our police. If you see something say something.”
“I would like to see the interview process. I am not keen on the old buddy system. Our city council and city manager have proven to be a big disappointment.”
“Policing a city as large, complex and culturally diverse as Wichita presents a wide variety of challenges. It’s why the city should be interested in candidates with a range of life experiences and backgrounds, and it’s why the ability to build trust and relationships with very different people is so important. More so, the candidate must take genuine pride in making ALL of Wichita’s neighborhoods safer for everyone.” - Faith Martin
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
