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WEST VALLEY CITY — After a national search spanning several months, West Valley City expects to announce its new police chief in the next couple of weeks.
Former police chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen retired in March after 33 years with the department. His decision to retire came after undergoing extensive surgery, which required a long recovery process.
Over the last year, the public and media scrutiny of the department has intensified, with local and federal authorities launching numerous investigations into allegations of corruption. West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder said the department needs great leadership, and he's confident that's what the city will get.
"It's very critical right now for Utah's second-largest city to have the right person as the police chief," Winder said. "I think by the end of the summer you'll see the right candidate come forward."
With the department still under investigation, Winder said they need somebody who can come in and set a positive tone.
"We are down to our final candidate," Winder said. "We are in the process of negotiating an employment package — looking at backgrounds checks, vetting — all of those things that you do before you make that final offer and seal the deal. So we are getting very close."
We have a lot of exciting, positive things going on. Crime has gone down 11 percent in the past four years. We need somebody who can keep the good things going in West Valley City and also fix some of the areas where we have stumbled.
–Mayor Mike Winder
Of the 36 applicants that applied for the job, nearly two-thirds were from out of state — some as far away as Alaska and Florida. From the pool of applicants, 23 advanced on the basis of a video presentation in which they answered questions from the city. Nine candidate were brought in for interviews, which included city workers, business leaders, legislators and other police chiefs.
"We were very pleased with the applicant pool," Winder added.
And while the city looks to move forward with a new police chief, the scrutiny over several high-profile cases remains.
In November, two narcotics officers shot and killed 21-year-old Danielle Willard during an investigation. The shooting is still under review by the district attorney's office.
The department was also discovered to have been involved in the theft of money and drugs and the mishandling of evidence in the narcotics unit. The unit was disbanded and prosecutors have dismissed 124 criminal cases linked to the officers.
The police department was also criticized for its handling of the disappearance of Susan Powell, who went missing back in 2009.
However, Winder is confident they have a top-notch candidate.
"We have a lot of exciting, positive things going on," Winder said. "Crime has gone down 11 percent in the past four years. We need somebody who can keep the good things going in West Valley City and also fix some of the areas where we have stumbled."
