Final interviews nearing, for selection of next Beatrice Police Chief

BEATRICE – An initial field of fifteen candidates has been whittled down to three finalists to be the next Police Chief for the City of Beatrice.
Chief Bruce Lang will retire this June after leading the department for 30 years.

Mayor Stan Wirth says final interviews, possibly narrowing from three to two candidates…will take place the week of April 11th.
"Those that rose to the top are John Russell Hickman from Glendive, Montana...that's a community of about 5,000....Doug Molczyk, who is one of the Captains at the Columbus Police Department...and Shawn Milliken, who is from Missouri Valley, Iowa."

John Hickman is a Chief of Police for Glendive, Montana. Doug Molczyk is a Captain with the Columbus, Nebraska Police Department….and Shawn Millikan is a Deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, in Nebraska.

Wirth says the candidates come with degrees, including masters degree and have management experience…including the management of communication centers.

"I would like to see someone who wants to make a commitment to the community and provide some longevity to the department. We want them engaged in the community, we want them a part of the community...we want them on different boards, if you will....and try to ingrain themselves more into the community and develop those relationships. That makes it really, really important in how the community views the department."

The Mayor, Chief of Police, members of the city council and city administration and members of the public will be involved in the final interviews.