City Leaders, Activist Look Ahead to Police Chief Search

A Champaign City Council member says the search for a new police chief should be an opportunity to build upon community ties that retiring Chief R.T. Finney has already established.

Will Kyles also sits on Champaign Community and Police Partnership, or C-CAP. The council member praises Finney for his efforts to heal already strained relations that worsened following the 2009 police shooting death of teenager Kiwane Carrington. Finney announced his retirement, effective January 20th, on Friday.

Kyles says the community needs direct, one-on-one interactions with officers, something he says has started with the 50-plus community meetings the last couple of years. And he hopes the city can hire someone new prior to Finney's retirement date.

"An interim person can build on certain things, but realistically, people do look for the sole title of chief, not interim chief," said Kyles. "When you have an interim, it just kind of changes the focus. It changes what we expect from that person."

Kyles also hopes a new police chief can also work to increase the number of minorities within the police department. He's interested in serving on the panel being assembled to search for Finney's replacement.

Fellow city council member Michael LaDue also says he'd like to help seek out a new police chief, but says he's not concerned about having to name someone on an interim basis, saying Champaign has two effective deputy chiefs. But LaDue says the city also has ample time to discuss this transition.

Meanwhile, a local activist sees Finney's retiring as an opportunity for a fresh start. Champaign County Board member Carol Ammons says she and other members of CU-Citizens for Peace and Justice have wanted Finney to step down since Carrington's death.

Ammons, who's been involved in the selection of last two police chiefs in Urbana, says that city marks the difference between a community led police chief and a militarization-led chief. She says the panel the city is organizing to name Champaign's new chief needs to be balanced.

"People that will bring a different perspective to the table, and people that might make you uncomfortable," said Ammons. "I would give you the example of the jury commission that was set up by (Champaign) County. A lof of people on that commitee have a totally different philosphy than, for instance, the chief judge. They've been able to work together in a very amicable way."

Finney was on the call of a break-in when Carrington died in October 2009. The officer whose gun discharged was placed on leave, but not charged with a crime, as the shooting was ruled an accident. But Finney remained on duty. Ammons says police-community relations in Champaign have gone downhill since that time.

If a new chief isn't named when Finney leaves the department, Ammons says she opposes naming an interim from within the department, claiming poor community relations go deeper than Finney.