Arlington officials narrow police chief search to 10 candidates. Who made the cut?
Arlington officials are another step closer to naming a new police chief, according to a city press release Tuesday.
Officials narrowed the initial pool of 74 candidates from around the country to 10 semi-finalists, half of whom currently hold positions with the Arlington or Fort Worth police departments.
“We cast a wide net when we started the search for Arlington’s next police chief,” said Trey Yelverton, city manager, in the press release. “I’m pleased that our search has led to a strong, diverse group of police leaders from around the country and at home for us to consider.”
The candidates are Arlington Police Department interim police chiefs Kevin Kolbye and Jaime Ayala; Osbaldo Flores, APD deputy chief of field operations; Tarrick McGuire, APD deputy chief; Charles Ramirez, assistant chief for Fort Worth Police Department’s support bureau; Col. Alexander Jones of the Baltimore County Police Department; Derrick Wood, an inspector with the Philadelphia Police Department; Cmdr. Jason Lando of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s investigations branch; Joseph Gramaglia, deputy police commissioner at the Buffalo Police Department’s operations and homeland security branch; and Perry Tarrant, chief operating officer and partner at Tri-9 Solutions.
The city’s final selection will replace Will Johnson, who announced in April he would retire after 23 years with the police department and serving as police chief since 2013.
The police chief search, which began on June 1, gained attention after George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis sparked protests across the globe and in Arlington. Various local groups, including the city’s NAACP chapter, have requested input in the selection process.
Yelverton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in June he met with the NAACP and other organizations for feedback about the search.
Community leaders, as well as city staff will get another chance to provide input during interviews with the 10 candidates in late September, according to the press release.
City officials plan to pick the next police chief in late October or early November.
