The City of Amarillo Seeks Public Input on Next Police Chief

There has been a lot of news recently regarding Amarillo and its chief of police. There is now a vacancy that needs to be filled, and the City of Amarillo has taken a unique approach to solving the problem.

If you've been paying attention at all for the past several years, you know that the City of Amarillo has a thing for surveys. Any time a big issue comes up, it seems like there is a survey to accompany it. That includes the search for a new Chief of Police.

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Chief of Police Survey Questions: What the City Wants to Know

The survey is pretty straightforward and doesn't take much time to fill out. There are no big surprises, other than the fact that the survey exists.

The first question asks which qualifications are the most important for the next Chief to have. The list includes things like transparency, being politically astute but not political, having a proven track record, and basically every other stereotypical qualification you'd like to see someone in that type of position have.

The second question deals with priorities and choosing which ones are most important to you. This includes everything from building trust and enhancing safety to expanding anti-intolerance and implicit bias training.

Next, they want to know which leadership qualities are the most important. They want you to pick five, but honestly, all of them are the type of qualities you would hope someone in such an important position would have.

Then, the survey asks for some demographic information, and you're done. There's also a space where you can add comments. It is open until August 29, so you have some time to fill it out.

Your Opportunity to Weigh In

While I can appreciate asking the citizens of Amarillo for input regarding the selection of the next Chief of Police, considering recent events, I was a bit shocked at the choice to issue the survey.

Apparently, there is more to consider when choosing a Chief of Police than I first thought. It isn't as simple as picking an upstanding individual with a proven track record.

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