Four Columbus deputy police chiefs apply for Springfield chief position
Two-thirds of the deputy chiefs for Columbus police have submitted their names as potential candidates to become the chief of police in Springfield, Ohio.
Four of the six deputy chiefs were amongst the 29 candidates who submitted applications to take over the department of about 130 officers located about an hour west of Columbus. Springfield police Chief Lee Graf has announced he intends to retire at the end of the year.
Among the candidates are Columbus police Deputy Chiefs Tim Becker, Jennifer Knight, Thomas Quinlan and Kelly Weiner.
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Becker has been with Columbus police for 33 years and currently oversees the division's South patrol unit.
Knight has been with Columbus police for 26 years and was promoted to deputy chief in 2020. She oversees the North patrol units.
Knight has previously been a finalist for the Hilliard police chief position. She is currently suing the city and the Division of Police, alleging that she is being targeted for random drug tests that she was forced to give while in the nude.
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Quinlan, a member of the Division of Police for 32 years, served as Columbus' police chief for nearly a year before being asked to step down in early 2021, just shy of the completion of his one-year probationary period as chief. Quinlan now serves as a deputy chief, overseeing the division's support services subdivision.
Weiner, a member of the division for 25 years, was promoted to deputy chief in 2021. She currently oversees the public accountability subdivision.
Columbus is currently in the process of forming a buyout opportunity for deputy chiefs with more than 25 years of experience. In August, City Council approved language — without knowing specific details or costs — for the buyouts. At the time, Public Safety Chair Emmanuel Remy said his understanding was that the cost would not exceed $1 million and would likely include $300,000 payments to three deputy chiefs.
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The Dispatch asked Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's office, which Remy said would set the final terms of the buyout, for any update on Tuesday on those conditions. Public records requests to the Department of Public Safety and several deputy chiefs indicated no communications had been sent to them in the last several months regarding buyouts or voluntary severance.
The chief in Springfield would oversee a department that serves a city of more than 58,000 people, the most populated in Clark County. The chief will be selected by Springfield's city manager and approved by the City Commission.
Of the 29 candidates who applied, five are internal Springfield police candidates.
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Four Columbus deputy police chiefs apply to be next Springfield chief
