Jeffrey Blackwell, the deputy police chief of Columbus, has been chosen as Cincinnati's new police, chief, city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. announced Friday afternoon.
Blackwell, a 26-year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police, was chosen by Dohoney from four finalists to be the permanent replacement for former chief James Craig, who left Cincinnati in June to become Detroit's police chief.
"Jeff understands that we have to work with various communities we serve to build a culture of understanding and respect,'' Dohoney said in a written statement. "In particular, I have spoken to him about our need to work in partnership with other organizations to reach teen youth and young adults to move the needle on reducing crime in this community."
Blackwell has been deputy chief in Columbus since 2009. For five years, he served on the city's Youth Violence Prevention Board. In 1992, the Columbus police officer helped solve five "cold case" homicides. Dohoney said that Blackwell made news in Columbus even before becoming a police officer. While working as a parking ticket writer in 1987, he chased down a bank robber and tackled him.
An 11-member screening committee made up of members of the Cincinnati community interviewed numerous candidates for the job, before narrowing the field down to four candidates.
Dohoney interviewed all four candidates and decided on Blackwell.
Blackwell will take office Sept. 30 with a salary of $132,000 a year. Blackwell will take over for Acting Chief Paul Humphries, who has headed the department since Craig left Cincinnati in June. Blackwell will head a department that has about 1,300 employees.
