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Clintonville searches for new police chief

Chief James Beggs to retire in April

By Erik Buchinger and Bert Lehman


The Clintonville City Council authorized City Administrator Sharon Eveland to sign an agreement for recruitment services for the police chief position.

The position will be vacated when Police Chief James Beggs retires April 19.

The council approved the authorization at its Jan. 8 meeting.

At the meeting, Eveland told the council that the Clintonville Police and Fire Commission had selected DLP Private and Public Safety Consulting to provide the recruitment services.

“Keep in mind that this is one of those unique situations where the police and fire commission have the authority and has the decision to decide who is selected so long as the funds have been provided,” Eveland said. “I just need authorization from the council to sign a contract with them.”

The council approved the authorization by a voice vote.

The funding for the recruitment services had previously been approved.

 

Beggs to retire after 44 years

Beggs began with the department in the summer of 1975.

“I think for most people it is a lifelong ambition,” Beggs told the Tribune-Gazette in November. “As a child, I would always be interested in looking at what the police are doing. If they were at the scene of an accident or something like that, I would always stop to watch. I was fascinated by it even as a child.”

Beggs said he knew some people who were police officers and had a lot of respect for them watching what they did.

James Beggs is police chief of Clintonville. Jeff Hoffman file photo

“It was something that stimulated my interest more than any other career,” Beggs said. “I went to college for 2.5 years for math and chemistry, but I wasn’t being fulfilled by it, so I went into the police science school.”

Beggs joined the Clintonville Police Department as a part-time officer in July 1975 before being promoted to a full-time position a few months later in September, working mostly evening shifts.

Beggs was promoted to lieutenant in 1991 and captain in 1995, a position he held for 21 years before becoming police chief in 2016.

“I did my whole police career here in the city of Clintonville,” Beggs said. “I was born and raised here, graduated high school here. I’m a hometown boy.”

Beggs said he experienced quite a bit in more than four decades with the police department.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of things,” Beggs said. “I’ve been in a lot of highs and a lot of lows. I dealt with issues with people I know, which is not an easy thing to do.”

Beggs said he is thankful for the friendships he made through his occupation.

“Over all the years, I have made a lot of wonderful friendships and had the privilege of having a great group of friends to do things with and have them for support,” Beggs said. “I made lots of professional friendships from other departments and other people involved in criminal justice.

“I think one of the most gratifying things I’ve had in my career was being involved in the hiring process a long time,” Beggs said. “I saw a lot of faces come and go through here when they worked for us as part-timers and found full-time employment at other departments. I got to watch people move on at different law enforcement positions at a number of levels.”

Beggs said he tries to stay in contact with many the officers who went through the Clintonville Police Department.

“It was a good feeling to put good, quality individuals into law enforcement to help them in their careers and see these individuals be promoted in such a noble profession,” Beggs said.

Beggs said he has no plans for what he would like to do next.

“I’m just looking at enjoying life,” Beggs said. “I do not have any set plans or a second career set up at all. Right now, I’m going to be catching up on things I have not been able to take care of for quite a while.”

 

Commission discusses hiring process

The Clintonville Police and Fire Commission discussed the process for hiring the next police chief at its December meeting.

Eveland said consultants with the search firm will do much of the legwork and handling of the interviews, with the police and fire commission deciding the next police chief.

“The police and fire commission makes the decision on who to hire,” Eveland said. “That being said, fund allocation and contract is done by the council. So the short answer is the police and fire commission does all the interviews, makes the selection and the contract with that position has to be approved by the council.”

Police Capt. Dennis Schroeder is the person in line to serve as interim police chief, Eveland said.

“Typically, if you have a long-term absence, you’re going to want to consider an interim chief. Keep in mind, we do not absolutely have to have somebody here before Jim leaves,” she said.

Eveland

Eveland said search firms have different approaches.

“Some will do just the basics like recruiting people to submit applications and resumes,” Eveland said. “Typically when you do this, firms will handle not only the advertisement of the position to get people to apply, but they will also handle the initial round of interviews.”

Eveland advised the board not to discuss potential candidates with each other outside of meetings.

“If you want to have some discussion, you can do that at the police and fire commission meeting,” she said. “I urge you to do some soul-searching yourself about what you think is really important for a police chief and what kind of things you want to know about a potential candidate.”

Once the list is narrowed down to three finalists, the names will go public. Preliminary checks will be done followed by a more extensive background investigation from the search firm.

During the November police and fire commission meeting, Beggs said he wanted to make sure the board makes the decision.

“Do not forget that you are the board the police department directly reports to,” Beggs said. “You are the one in charge of the hiring, the firing and the discipline. I am asking you to take complete charge of the process and make the final decision yours. That’s all I ask for this board.”

Beggs said at that meeting he would be available to help but does not want to get in the way.

“I will not take part in any interview process, but I will offer information and answer questions when asked,” Beggs said. “I will take the position that I will not overstep my bounds and steer this hiring process whatsoever. I will answer questions, but if there is a 10-karat in that bunch, I would let you guys know.”

Eveland advised the police and fire commission to hold a meet-and-greet with the finalist applicants to gather community input as well as have the potential police chiefs meet with current police officers.

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