Meet The Four Finalists For Chief Of Police Of The Grand Rapids Police Department
Yesterday on Facebook, the City of Grand Rapids announced that it has reached the next step in its nationwide search for the new Chief of Police, narrowing the field to four finalists, three of whom are from Michigan. In the city's continued effort toward transparency within the police department, the city has announced that on June 17th, members of the public can meet the finalists and voice their opinions.
Questions can be submitted for the event HERE before the June 15th at 5 p.m. deadline. It will take place at City Hall, on the Calder Plaza Level, at 7 p.m. Before we break down the four finalists, let's recap how we got to this point.
Why Chief Eric Winstrom Left The GRPD
Back in March, the previous Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom made his exit from the Grand Rapids Police Department after four years that saw him contend with the nationally covered police shooting of Patrick Lyoya. Rebuilding community relations afterward became an important part of his tenure here.
In response to this, Winstrom gave a film crew unprecedented access to the inner workings of his police department in the HBO series All Access PD: Grand Rapids. It was a unique choice that had a mixed reception, but his overall efforts as Chief of Police were well received by city members. Ultimately, he chose to take a position in Pensacola, Florida, to be closer to his wife's family.
Meet The Chief Police Finalists
These are brief summaries of the candidates' credentials. We encourage you to view each candidate's resume in full.
Joseph A. Trigg - Grand Rapids Police Department
The current interim Chief of Police for the GRPD, Trigg, has been with the GRPD for 25 years and is a Muskegon native. He started as a patrol officer and worked his way up through the ranks, most recently serving as Deputy Chief. His appointment as interim chief was met with praise around the city.
Mark Bliss - Detroit Police Department
Bliss is a deputy chief with the Detroit Police Department, where he oversees multiple departments, from the Crime Strategies Bureau to the Detroit Detention Center. He has 25 years of law enforcement experience in Detroit, overseeing over 2,500 officers in a city of nearly 650,000.
Rafael Diaz - Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety
Rafael Diaz is a police captain with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and a licensed attorney in Michigan. He has 27 years of public safety experience across many different emergency personnel and more. Diaz is a very well-rounded and experienced candidate.
Eve Stephens - University of Texas at Austin / Austin Police Department
Stephens is the former chief of police for the University of Texas at Austin and a retired commander from the Austin Police Department. She has 25 years of law enforcement experience and 11 years of executive, command, and supervisory experience, during which she oversaw a wide range of officers across different environments.
An official announcement date has not been given.
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