Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Overland Park City Council to address leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Overland Park residents.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Overland Park is looking for a new police chief after the sudden resignation of Chief Frank Donchez, who had been with the city for nearly a decade. Donchez’s tenure was rocky at times, with OPPD facing scrutiny in particular for its handling of the deadly shooting of teenager John Albers in 2018. On the other hand, the department launched a new mental health crisis response unit and made efforts at transparency under Donchez’s leadership. What will you be looking for in Overland Park’s next police chief? What characteristics and experiences do you think should be prioritized in OPPD’s next leader?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Ward 1
Holly Grummert (incumbent)
I’m looking forward to the city conducting a nationwide search that involves community and civic groups like Advocacy and Awareness Committee of Johnson County.
We have an opportunity to hire a forward thinking chief that will lead our police department into the future. I hope whoever we hire shares the city council’s commitment to transparency, mental health and de-escalation practices.
Carol Merritt
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Ward 2
Drew Mitrisin
The hiring of a new police chief is arguably the most consequential hiring decision City Manager Lori Curtis Luther will make.
In terms of past law enforcement experiences for the next OPPD leader, I think it’s extremely important for the individual to have served in various capacities throughout their law enforcement career — someone who has patrolled, someone who has demonstrated the ability to make the right decisions under pressure. It’s also very important for our next OPPD leader to have significant managerial and financial experience, as the Police Department accounts for 30% of the city’s annual operating budget.
We need a police chief who is committed to increasing transparency so our residents have confidence in our justice system, as well as someone who sees the value in continuing to expand the mental health co-responder unit.
With threats to our safety continuing to come from outside our city borders and with high-risk events coming to the region, a candidate who has a history of successfully working with state and federal law enforcement agencies is also a priority.
Overland Park is a highly-ranked community and public safety is fundamental to our success. As a new dad, the safety of my family and our community is extremely important to me, so I hope voters took time to read the mailer I sent specifically explaining my views on public safety. Without safe neighborhoods, our successes as a city could slip away – and it starts at the top with hiring a great police chief.
Jameia Haines
The process that the city manager uses to hire the next police chief should be transparent and balanced with best practices.
Considerations I would have as a councilmember for selection of the next chief include someone who is respectable and accountable. The police chief needs to be involved, engaged and responsive to the community. The leader of the police department will be someone who is respected by the force. Commitment to transparency, fairness and making the department the most effective it can be with best practices is key. The Overland Park Police Department is down 35 officers. Attracting and retaining a talented police force will need to be a continued focus. The police chief should be open to new ideas to adjust to an ever-changing environment in a forward-thinking manner.
Continued focus on responses to mental health issues by the Overland Park Crisis Action Team has to be a priority for the next leader of the police department. I recently attended a presentation by the mental health co-responder unit and learned that 54% of calls placed to the police department this year involved mental health-related issues. This is important work for our community.
Ward 3
Tom Carignan (incumbent)
The chief of police is a critically important person in both city administration and our community. In Overland Park’s Council-Manager form of government, the search process and ultimate hiring decision will be made by our city manager.
Having said that, I would expect our next chief of police to embrace Overland Park’s recent investments in mental health co-responders, CALEA accreditation, community engagement and relationship building, continuation and promotion of transparency in policies and information reporting, Civil Service Commission and Independent Citizen Advisory Board for Racial Profiling and Non-Biased Policing.
I would expect our next chief to hold high standards of excellence and embrace continuous improvement. The chief should be someone who can listen deeply and possess a high level of social-emotional competency, so the relationships built are genuine. The search itself should be national and — at the appropriate time — the public should be given the opportunity to provide input and feedback.
Richard Borlaza
The ideal police chief should possess a blend of leadership qualities that prioritize community trust, accountability and effective law enforcement. First and foremost, they should be an advocate for comprehensive and ongoing training for officers. This includes not only tactical skills but also training in de-escalation techniques, cultural sensitivity and mental health crisis intervention. Their commitment to continuous learning and improvement should set the tone for the entire department.
Recruitment skills are equally critical. A strong police chief should have the ability to attract diverse, qualified candidates who reflect the communities they serve. They should actively seek to hire individuals with a commitment to public service and a deep understanding of the community’s needs. Promoting diversity within the police force fosters trust and enhances the department’s effectiveness.
Additionally, transparency and accountability should be at the core of their leadership style. They should establish clear policies for officer conduct, use of force and disciplinary measures, ensuring that the public has confidence in the department’s actions. Communication skills are vital, as they need to engage with the community regularly, actively listening to concerns and addressing them proactively.
A police chief should embrace community-oriented policing, emphasizing collaboration with local organizations and fostering positive relationships between officers and residents. By promoting these qualities, the ideal police chief can help build a safer, more inclusive and mutually trusting community-police relationship, ultimately enhancing public safety and well-being.
Ward 5
Inas Younis
The city manager will be tasked with beginning the selection process for a new police chief. It is my hope that she undertakes an internal and national search for a qualified candidate with experience in a city that carries a distinguished rating like ours.
We are 35 police officers short and that is not a unique problem to have. Law enforcement is not a popular career option these days. Whoever we bring on board must have the leadership ability and competence to restore some of the reverence we once had for our law enforcement community. I want a crime fighter and a role model who inspires admiration, dedication and integrity from his or her colleagues.
I want a police chief who shares my philosophy on public safety, which is not only to make us statistically one of the safest cities in the nation but also to make us feel safe through increased police presence and the use of world-class technology. Someone who shares my commitment to transparency and accountability is also a non-negotiable quality I would look for in our future police chief.
Faris Farassati, PhD, PharmD (incumbent)
The quality of our police force, like other professional services offered by the city, requires resources, education and clear policies provided to them by the city council. Over the last two decades, policing has been revolutionized by the introduction of a new model called “Evidence Based Policing” or EBP. This uses the results of scientific research, evaluation and analysis when making, assessing and enforcing policing policies, programs and procedures. EBP operates under the same principles as evidence-based medicine.
Why is EBP important? Here is an example. In 2020, when late officer Mike Mosher reached out to me and Scott Hamblin, asking us to consider hazard pay for the first responders during the pandemic, only councilmembers Hamblin, Burke and I were willing to vote for hazard pay. The other councilmembers rejected our proposal. I believe greater understanding of the principles of EBP would have resulted in offering hazard pay, which was absolutely needed to boost the morale.
For a new chief, I am looking for a highly-educated leader who can introduce and expand data-based methods in our police force, establish a collegial relationship with the community, enhance the diversity of the force, showcase the excellent service that they provide and educate councilmembers to get away from their “party ideology” and look at our police force as a highly professional and technical service that needs their full support.
Ward 6
Chris Newlin
In the national search for Overland Park’s next police chief, it’s imperative to prioritize specific characteristics and experiences to ensure effective leadership and community engagement:
- Strong Leadership Skills: The new chief should possess exemplary leadership skills, capable of inspiring and guiding the police department with a clear vision for maintaining public safety and fostering positive community relations. This leadership should extend to both the department and the community it serves.
- Transparency and Accountability: Transparency is paramount. The new chief must be dedicated to openness and accountability, openly communicating department policies, procedures and incidents that occur under their watch. This transparency is vital for building trust between the police and the community, a cornerstone of effective policing.
- Crisis Management Experience: Given the diverse challenges Overland Park faces, the new chief should have a proven track record of managing complex situations effectively. From addressing crime to responding to emergencies, they must ensure the safety and well-being of the community while adapting to evolving situations.
- Commitment to Continuing Effective Initiatives: Prioritizing the continuity of initiatives like the Crisis Action Team, which I led in creating as the Chair of the Mental Health Task Force in 2021, is crucial. This team has been successful in addressing mental health issues, and its expansion and collaboration with local agencies are essential to the community’s welfare.
By emphasizing these qualities and experiences, the new chief can effectively serve the community, build trust and nurture positive relationships, ensuring that Overland Park remains a safe and harmonious place to live.
Scott Hamblin (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Tomorrow, we will publish candidates’ responses to the next question:
The city is undergoing a major review of its comprehensive plan for the first time in 40 years. Overland Park has seen tremendous growth and change over the past four decades, and many parts of the present-day city — especially south of I-435 — are not taken into consideration at all by the existing plan. At the same time, tensions remain over development in the city, with some residents critical of the city’s use of tax incentives and other breaks given to developers. How do you want to see a revised comprehensive plan envision the future of a changing Overland Park? What aspects of the city’s future should be prioritized?
