The City of Kalispell will not be hiring a new police chief until at least this fall, officials announced last week. City Manager Doug Russell said the city wants to take more time to fill the important position.
The city began looking for a new chief after long-time leader Roger Nasset announced he was leaving the department in December 2017. Administrative Capt. Wade Rademacher is serving as interim chief until the position is filled.
The job was initially advertised in January and by March nearly 40 people had applied. Russell said that there are many qualified candidates but that the city is in no rush to fill the job. “This is an important position for the Kalispell community and is worth taking the additional time to identify the full scope of qualities and abilities to facilitate long-term success,” officials wrote in a press release issued last week.