Hastings Police chief candidates share views on job

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by Josh Egbert

Story Created: Oct 9, 2012 at 4:54 PM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 9, 2012 at 5:50 PM CDT

Interviews for Hastings next police chief are now over. The final two met with the selection committee Tuesday.

Those candidates include two current Hastings Police Captains, a captain from the Grand Island Police Department and a chief from Illinois.

It's a position that drew some 30 applicants. The four best were chosen and interviewed.

"Our agency runs pretty well, Chief Thoren has done an excellent job; there's a great platform out there and there's a few things that you know I'd like to see with some consistency and some training," said Captain Adam Story.

"The city is slightly larger size from where I am right now, so I'm looking for a career opportunity where I can grow, learn my skill set, hone my skill set and provide services to a city that's slightly larger than where I am," Chief BJ Wilkinson said.

"I understand how important it is for a police agency to develop trust in the community, not only me individually as a police chief, but the agency, the department itself," said Captain Pete Kortum.

"We have four top qualified candidates and again it's just quite a privilege," said Boner.

One of the characteristics the selection committee is looking for is the candidate's involvement in the community.

"Different events within our community that we go to. We volunteer at a lot of different places in town and just through work I'm also involved on different boards," said Story.

"The department I've got now is hands on and community oriented. I believe that police officers should be as much a part of the community and everyday life as employees of the city," Wilkinson said.

"I've had a lot of opportunity to be involved in the school district in Grand Island and I recognized how important those relationships are," said Kortum.

"Over the course of the last 23 years I've worked very hard at developing partnerships and interacting with the public and a community as a whole," said Boner.

The committee in charge of selecting the next chief will make their choice in the next few weeks with a projected starting date at the beginning of 2013.

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