Here are the finalists for Tacoma police chief and how you can meet them
The City of Tacoma announced the six finalists for the new Tacoma Police Department chief Monday.
The public is invited to meet with the finalists through a virtual forum at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, via Zoom or by calling 253-215-8782.
The city will hold final interviews with the candidates starting the week of Nov. 30, with anticipated selection by the end of the year.
Meeting details are available cityoftacoma.org.
Current Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell announced his retirement in July. He’ll stay on the job until January 2021.
The position has an annual salary between $194,708 and $249,620.
Here are the finalists and their bios, according to the city of Tacoma’s website:
Michael Ake
Michael Ake serves as the assistant chief of the Administrative Services Bureau for the Tacoma Police Department, where he’s worked since 1989. He’s also the director of personnel and policy for the Washington National Guard. Ake holds a master of arts degree in organizational leadership from Brandman University and a master of arts in strategic studies from the Army War College.
Michelle Bennett
Michelle Bennett has worked for the King County Sheriff’s Office since 1990 and has served as the chief of police for the cities of Maple Valley and Sammamish. Bennett holds a doctorate degree in education from Seattle University and a master of science in organization development from Central Washington University.
Dwayne Joseph
Dwayne Joseph is a lieutenant in the Tacoma Police Department, where he’s worked since 1989. He previously served as a patrol officer and police sergeant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Central Washington University.
Jason Lando
Jason Lando currently serves as the police commander for the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, where he has worked since 2000. He previously worked as a ground and flight paramedic and holds a master’s degree in legal studies and criminal justice from California University of Pennsylvania.
Von Narcisse
Von Narcisse is a police captain at the Yale University Police Department in New Haven, Connecticut and has served since 2007. He worked as a police officer for the Tacoma Police Department between 1998 and 2007. Narcisse holds a bachelor’s degree in social and criminal justice from Montana State University.
Wendell Shirley
Wendell Shirley teaches administration of justice at Los Angeles Mission Junior College and is a retired police captain from Santa Monica Police Department, where he served from 1993 to 2019. Shirley holds a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 2:36 PM.
