Longmont is looking for a new public safety chief, a position which has been vacant for months. But before the search process begins, Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez is seeking feedback on the qualities community members want the next chief to possess.
The city has launched a survey to gauge which “skills, attributes and focus areas” residents believe are important in the next chief. The survey, announced Friday in a city news release, closes Jan. 10 and is available in English and Spanish. Residents are asked to register on the city’s online engagement platform, Engage Longmont, before taking the survey, according to the release.
Chief Mike Butler retired in July after serving for 26 years. Before he left his position, he wrote a letter outlining some of the things he felt were important to the job of Longmont’s Public Safety chief.
The position includes managing Police Services, Fire Services, Community Health and Resiliency, Dispatch Services and the Support Services Division, Butler wrote.
Among the attributes for a successful chief Butler highlighted in his letter were being open to community building and engagement and change; being able to integrate all parts of Public Safety into the community; creating a positive culture in the department; and being approachable and optimistic.
He said his successor should be able to “create necessary but flexible boundaries for Public Safety to ensure it does not become politicized, used for purposes not related to public safety, and to stay true to its purpose in our community.”
He also stated he believes public officials should be transparent and approachable and should value individuals within the community.
The next chief should be “very accessible, available, and approachable to anyone on staff and our community,” he wrote.
He added the chief should be seen often “in our community encouraging goodwill for public safety, listening to all voices within our community, and is authentically open to explaining public safety policies, the complexity of our work, and high-profile public safety operations.”
