Despite low turnout, the recruiter hired to help find Gilroy’s
next police chief posed questions Tuesday night to community
members who offered their thoughts on what traits would be ideal in
a chief.
Gilroy – Despite low turnout, the recruiter hired to help find Gilroy’s next police chief posed questions Tuesday night to community members who offered their thoughts on what traits would be ideal in a chief.
The open forum solicited comments from residents about what they like about Gilroy, what crimes worry them, and the kind of chief they’d like to see take over. Only a handful of residents attended, but recruiter Gary Brown of William Avery and Associates, thanked them for coming, and listened intently to their comments.
What they wanted: Someone who spends time in Gilroy schools. Someone who understands homelessness, and the web of issues that cause it. Someone who communicates effectively, verbally and in writing. Someone who doesn’t commute to and from Gilroy, and someone who will go to bat for police, to secure the resources the department needs.
Attendees counted rising property crime, methamphetamine addiction, and a recent rash of sex crimes by strangers among their concerns. All said they felt positively about Gilroy police, and were pleased with response times. But the city’s growth had some concerned that Gilroy’s small-town feel – and small-town crime rate – could suffer as its population soars.
The forum ended a two-day meeting blitz for Brown, who spent time Monday and Tuesday talking with police administrators, the Police Officers Association, Latino leaders, business owners and other groups. Through those discussions, Brown will develop a profile of Gilroy’s ideal chief, and produce a brochure to attract suitable candidates for the job. The department’s current chief, Gregg Giusiana, is expected to retire in January.
