The City of Cedar Rapids has launched a public survey asking for input on what qualities city residents and stakeholders want to see in a new police chief.
The survey is part of the community outreach stage of the hiring process, which also will involve consulting with the leaders of more than 30 local organizations — including the Cedar Rapids school district, Advocates for Social Justice and Willis Dady Homeless Services.
The city has partnered with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to create a strategic plan to hire a new chief. The new hire will replace Chief Wayne Jerman, who retired in April after turning 66 and aging out of his certification.
Once the survey and interviews with local organizations have concluded, the city and the association consultants will use the input gathered to put together a candidate profile and begin the nationwide search.
The survey is available on the city’s website and includes optional demographic questions and questions about the participant’s ZIP code, to ensure that feedback is received from a large variety of community demographics, according to a news release from the city about the survey.
Living in Cedar Rapids is not a requirement to take the survey because the city wants to hear from all stakeholders, including those who may work in or regularly visit Cedar Rapids but don’t live in the city.
“The Chief of Police is a highly visible and influential leader, touching various aspects of our City,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said in the news release. “Gathering input from the community is absolutely critical as we work to identify the most suitable candidate to fill this important position.”
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