Blueprint offered for hiring Wichita’s next police chief

When Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams retired last August, City Manager Robert Layton asked for a blueprint for the new chief to use in addressing community concerns – particularly police shootings and allegations of racial profiling – and in leading the department.

On Thursday, the findings of a six-month study were made public.

“The idea was that we would have a blueprint prepared for the new chief for when that person takes office,” Layton said.

“This document is very extensive. I plan on putting together an implementation team to take these recommendations and make sure all are summarized and then work with projects management and police department in moving forward.”

Layton said he hopes that by the end of next week he can select a search firm to help in the process of hiring a new chief.

Within the next month, he said he wants to appoint a community advisory group that will also assist and advise in the hiring. He expects the search process to take four to six months.

“We want to select someone the community is comfortable with and that person has the skill sets to move us in the direction outlined in the blueprint,” Layton said.

In a 30-minute presentation Thursday, Misty Bruckner, director of the Center for Urban Studies at Wichita State University’s Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs, told a group of about 40 people the findings from interviews with 195 Police Department employees and 22 meetings.

The recommendations include: continuing to improve community relations; strengthen community policing; obtain body cameras for field officers; address racial profiling; implement cultural diversity and sensitivity training; develop targeted recruitment and retention efforts for department diversity; establish a new community advisory board,;and improve the departments information and transparency.

Layton said there will be a series of community meetings in the next few weeks where residents can offer feedback. The meetings will be sponsored by the Wichita NAACP, Sunflower Community Action, Wichita Independent Neighborhoods and the Wichita Crime Commission.

This story was originally published February 12, 2015 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Blueprint offered for hiring Wichita’s next police chief."