From starting on patrol 19 years ago to serving as interim police chief since Dec. 1, Jason Stachey's career at the Hot Springs Police Department has run the gamut. Starting today, it takes on a new dimension.
The city announced Friday that the Hot Springs native would have "interim" removed from his title and simply be called "chief."
A selection process that solicited professional and community input tapped Stachey from the four finalists who advanced to the interview round. City Manager David Frasher said a panel of community leaders and a group of Arkansas and Missouri law enforcement administrators rated Stachey as one of the final two candidates, an assessment that was confirmed when a team of city executives included Stachey in the list of two candidates it referred to Frasher.
Frasher said any of the four could have done the job, but Stachey's connection to the department carried the day. By Friday morning, he had made up his mind.
"I think Jason understands the strengths and weaknesses of the department and how to deal with them," Frasher said. "He's extremely dedicated to the department and would actually put the department's interest ahead of his own if it were required."
Stachey said his career is more vocation than occupation, beckoning him from an early age.
"When I was 6 years old, a friend of my father's was a detective on the police department," said Stachey, a Hot Springs High graduate. "He came and visited one afternoon and showed me his badge. From that age on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. It's a profession, but the way I look at it, it's a calling to serve."
With the interim tag removed, Stachey said he's keen to roll out his agenda. According to a news release, Frasher's tasked him with reducing crime and drug activity, improving professionalism within the department and enhancing its reputation and performance relative to the top agencies in the state.
Stachey took over as interim chief after David Flory retired in November. According to the release, he accepted the city's $95,000 salary offer.
"Any person who's served as an interim knows it's a fine line," Stachey said. "You want to make changes, but you also have to use caution and remind yourself that you are serving in an interim role. I wanted to make changes but knew any significant ones needed to be made by a permanent, sitting chief."
Frasher said the professional panel that included Trook K Commander Shawn Garner of the Arkansas State Police and Russellville Police Chief Jeff Humphrey put the finalists through their paces. Drawing on contacts he made as city administrator for Oak Grove, Mo., and as a detective on the Kansas City, Mo., metro squad, Frasher brought in Dan Cummings, the head of the Jackson County, Mo., Drug Task Force, and Travis Forbes, police chief for Lee's Summit, Mo., to broaden the panel's perspective.
"I was so very impressed," Stachey said. "Their questions were so relevant and timely, especially with so many issues facing law enforcement today. I'm thankful to go through that vetting process. It was important. No matter who the new chief was going to be, the process ensured the best candidate would be sitting in that position."
Frasher, who took over as city manager March 31, said while the extensive selection process wasn't out of the ordinary, it assumed greater importance in light of his newcomer status. He wanted the community to have its say, but the decision was ultimately his.
"It was a difficult decision for me, because I have been in the community such a short period of time," said Frasher, who said Flory was among the people he contacted during the selection process. "I relied heavily on the quality of this process. I would've done that anyway, but it was more compelling to me because of that."
The three finalists who joined Stachey in the interview round were Amy Barlow, deputy chief of the major investigations for the Jackson, Mo., Police Department; Jeffrey Fitzpatrick, chief deputy of the Saline County Sheriff's Department; and Steven Sharron, assistant chief of the Tyler, Texas, Police Department.
Philip Dupuis, the Conroe, Texas, police chief, was selected as a finalist but withdrew before the interview round.
Stachey has a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University and a master's degree from Columbia Southern University. The Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training has certified him as an instructor, and he's responsible for making the Hot Springs Police Department the state's first law enforcement agency to be accredited by the Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.
Local on 05/28/2016