Residents can meet the three candidates who are seeking to fill the role of Tempe Police Chief at a public forum in January hosted by Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching. The public forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 13, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Lakeside Room of the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway.
Former Police Chief Tom Ryff retired Dec. 1, following 36 years of service to the city, including nine as chief.
Tempe invited applications from internal and external candidates, and received a diverse array of responses. Eleven candidates were interviewed last week by a panel that included community members; three candidates are advancing in the process. Their names and most recent positions are:
• Sylvia Moir – Police Chief in El Cerrito, California, since 2010. She has been a sworn law enforcement professional for 26 years.
• John Rush – Assistant Police Chief in Tempe since 2007. He has been a sworn law enforcement professional for 22 years.
• Christopher Vicino – Assistant Police Chief in Riverside, California, since 2010. He has been a sworn law enforcement professional for 31 years.
In 2013, while seeking the top spot in the Chandler Police Department, Vicino, who had worked at the Riverside Police Department for about three years at the time, was accused in a letter sent to the California Attorney General’s Office by a department employee of misusing police funds and of intimidating staff, according to the Arizona Republic.
Two forums for city employees will be held in January.