March 20

Skowhegan police chief applications due Friday

So far, no internal candidates for job vacated by Michael Emmons

By Doug Harlow dharlow@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

SKOWHEGAN — The deadline for applications for the vacant job of police chief is Friday, and already 51 people — most of them from out of state — have expressed interest in the job.

click image to enlarge

Michael Emmons

Staff file photo by David Leaming

Résumés and cover letters have come from as far away as California, Texas and Florida, Skowhegan Human Resource Director Christine Almand said Wednesday.

Five applicants are from Maine and so far, Almand said, no one from the Skowhegan Police Department has applied.

"What I've noticed is, usually, local applicants turn in their interest letters near the end of the deadline," Almand said. "I didn't get any from in-state until considerably well into the process."

In February, former Chief Michael Emmons left the post to become chief of police at VA Maine Healthcare Systems' Togus campus, outside Augusta. Deputy Chief Dan Summers is second-in-command and will be in charge until a new police chief is hired.

Almand said word of the vacancy has spread across the Internet, with links "captured" from a newspaper advertisement and an announcement on Mainejobs.com/Monster.

"I try to advertise as cheaply as I can, and the Internet is a wonderful thing," she said. "There are other websites that automatically capture it without me doing anything. It's free advertising."

The job listing also appears on the websites of the town of Skowhegan, the Maine Municipal Association, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, PoliceOne.com and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

She said résumés will not be reviewed until the deadline has passed.

Almand said the town is looking for someone with a proven record of success in command, personnel management and community relations. The person should have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or the equivalent in education and experience, have a minimum of 10 years of active law enforcement experience, and be certified or able to achieve certification from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy within a year of being hired.

A condition of employment is that the new chief live within 12 miles of Skowhegan.

Almand said the salary will be based on experience and will range from $57,500 to $62,400.

She said she will review all of the applications with a committee including Town Manager John Doucette Jr. and Selectmen Newell Graf and Steve Spaulding. Final candidates will be interviewed by the committee, plus someone from law enforcement and two Skowhegan residents.

Almand said the new chief should be on board by June.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367
dharlow@centralmaine.com

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