SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
No one has applied for the job of Sanford's top cop, city officials tell us, so a firm has been hired a firm to find qualified applicants. Residents have had plenty to say about what they want.
Waters Consulting Group of Texas plans to put ads in law enforcement magazines and do other advertising. They plan to have a large pool of people and cut the number down in series.
"We think it's extremely critical that we know what the recruitment profile is before we go out and attract anybody," Chuck Rohre, Senior Consultant for the Recruitment Division within The Waters Consulting Group (WCG).
The firm held a meeting at Sanford City Hall to see what residents had to say about qualities they want in a new chief. Trust and respect were on the top of the list to improve race relations.
One resident said, "I would highly suggest to Mr. Bonaparte that he doesn't pick somebody local, because it's gonna be that same scenario as before -- another 'good ole boy' pick, and we can't have that in the city." Another woman disagreed saying she wants former Police Chief Bill Lee back. "The Police Department loved Bill Lee. I know they've had meetings where they were in favor of Bill Lee. They all loved Bill Lee with a few exceptions. The morale at the police department has gone down, crime has gone up since he left. I don't think you're gonna find anybody as good as he was."
Lee was fired back in June over complaints that he didn't arrest George Zimmerman after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman says it was self defense. The Special Prosecutor's office charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder after conducting their own investigation.
WCG is being paid $12,000 to conduct the search, but it will be the city manager who hires the new chief. They hope to have one in place by December or January.
