A group of social justice and human rights organizations is urging the City of Eugene to involve them in the hiring process for a new police chief.
Charles Denson is with the Civil Liberties Defense Center. He says the coalition of groups, called Human Rights Work, would like a new police chief who can work closely with diverse and marginalized communities. Denson says they’d like to be involved early in the hiring process.
Denson: “We want to make sure that their voices are being heard now and that we have an opportunity to be involved in every step of the process.”
A City of Eugene spokeswoman says they’re still in early phases of hiring a new police chief. The plan is to 1st hire a consultant and involve the community in the next few months. The city plans to post the job opening in the winter. Current police Chief Pete Kerns has said he’ll stay on until a replacement is hired.