18 people applied to be the next Topeka Police Chief; what's next in the selection process

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The City of Topeka is narrowing down its candidate list to find the best fit for the next police chief.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 15, the City of Topeka has closed its application process for the police chief, according to Dan Garrett, Topeka's Director of Communications. He said a total of 18 people applied for the role. Now, with the help of SGR, a recruiting firm, the city will narrow the applicant pool down to four or five finalists.

Once the finalists are selected, the city will host a meet and greet for the community to interact with the finalists selected, according the news release.

"We are excited to meet with the finalists and engage with the community as we select our next police chief,” said City Manager Robert Perez. “It’s important that the candidates reflect our values and will work towards the goals outlined in our public input sessions. We invite all members of the community to participate and share their thoughts during this important time."

The meet and greet will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Emerald Ballroom in Hotel Topeka located at 1717 Southwest Topeka Boulevard. After the meet and greet, a special meeting of the Governing Body will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 to review the police chief candidates, with the goal to choose the next Topeka Police Chief, according to the news release.

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