BELLEVUE, Wash - Washington's fifth largest city has narrowed its search for a new Police Chief down to five finalists. Bellevue's Deputy Chief Jim Jolliffe, Seattle Assistant Chief Nick Metz, Minneapolis Assistant Chief Matthew Clark, Chief Mitch McCann from Simi Valley, California, and Assistant Chief Raul Munguia from Austin, Texas are in the running for the top job.
The Police Chief position includes an annual salary up to $175,326. The new Chief will also inherit investigations like the unsolved Sky Metalwala case. The boy was reported missing nearly three years ago.
Bellevue resident Lisa Tompkins still thinks about the missing child.
"I am heartbroken by that," said Tompkins. "My husband and I were out there searching when he was lost."
Tompkins is also upset about cases involving officers' behavior.
"Now you go anywhere and people laugh about the drunken Bellevue police officers. I didn't think it was funny," said Tompkins.
The case Tompkins is referring to involves two officers who were disciplined for being intoxicated and unruly at a 2012 Seahawks game.
In another case, Lieutenant Lisa Flores, a 19-year-veteran of the department, falsified a workman's compensation claim, according to just released police documents. Department spokesperson, Officer Seth Tyler, said Lt. Flores lied when she was confronted about it.
"The public expects police officers to be held to the highest standard of honesty, and unfortunately, our Chief had no choice in this case but to fire Lt. Flores," said Ofc. Tyler.
Bellevue police say those kinds of tough decisions come with the territory for the next Police Chief.
