PORT ANGELES — Four applicants for the Port Angeles police chief vacancy will undergo a series of interviews today, about two weeks before one of them is named the city’s top law enforcement officer.
The interviews with interim Police Chief Brian Smith of Port Angeles; Kevin Dresker of Wenatchee; Pet Ketchum of Nineveh, Ind.; and Harold Turner of Indianapolis will be held this afternoon.
They will be conducted in private and separately by department heads, a community panel and City Manager Dan McKeen before the candidates attend a community reception at 6:30 p.m. at the city fire station at 102 E. Fifth St.
July 1 selection
McKeen is expected to make a selection by July 1, Human Resources Director Abbi Fountain said Tuesday.
The new police chief will succeed Terry Gallagher, who was the city’s deputy police chief before taking the helm in 2008 and retiring March 4.
The salary range for the position is $100,919 to $120,629, plus benefits of $6,275 to $18,750.
Fountain, who said the city would not provide the applicants’ resumes, provided brief profiles of the candidates:
■ Smith, Port Angeles deputy police chief for more than seven years, has more than 35 years of law enforcement experience.
Smith was employed for 27 years by the National Park Service, beginning his career as a park ranger before serving as a special agent, special agent-lead instructor and regional special agent in charge.
■ Dresker, security services manager for the Wenatchee health care organization Confluence Health, has 28 years of law enforcement experience.
He began his career as a patrol officer with the Wenatchee Police Department and was promoted to captain, becoming the operations and administrative bureau commander.
■ Ketchum, a lieutenant and the chief investigator for the Franklin Police Department in Indianapolis, has been with the agency for more than 21 years.
Ketchum has been a lieutenant for seven years and served four years as a patrol commander and 15 years in the criminal investigation division.
■ Turner, the district administrative-field captain for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, is a 20-year veteran of the force, where he has worked in operation, investigations, administration, internal affairs, policy accreditation and traffic and youth services.
He began his career as a part-time student officer at Indiana University.
Community panel
Among those on the community panel are Michael Peters, CEO of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe; Sharon Thompson, provider-recruiter for Olympic Medical Physicians and a member of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Alan Barnard, president of the Public Safety Advisory Board.
Also on the board are Dr. Joshua Jones, medical director for Peninsula Behavioral Health and a Port Angeles School Board member; Mary Budke, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula; and Jennifer Veneklasen, Port Angeles city clerk.
Fountain said there were 10 applicants for the position under a process facilitated by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs under an approximately $3,500 agreement.
Mike Painter, WASPC director of professional services, said Tuesday the organization posted the job description to websites, gathered applications and submitted them to city officials.
“They want people who are well-educated, that have plenty of training, that have experience with the type of issues that are current with the city,” Painter said.
He said city officials also were looking for applicants with executive-level law enforcement experience.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
