Perryville mulls changes to police chief qualifications

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perryville Board of Aldermen approved the first reading Tuesday of an ordinance providing for a ballot measure to change the way the city selects its police chief.

Under state law, Perryville -- which is incorporated as a fourth-class city -- must elect a city marshal to serve as chief unless voters decide to let city leaders appoint a chief instead.

The board's action Tuesday basically was a formality that advanced the process of getting the measure onto the November ballot.

Last month, the aldermen unanimously accepted an advisory committee's recommendation to ask voters to change the chief selection process.

The board appointed the 13-member committee in May to research the city's options and make a recommendation after the March resignation of former chief Keith Tarrillion.

Tarrillion's departure followed an investigation into multiple allegations by subordinates.

Because he was an elected official, the city could not remove him without formal impeachment proceedings.

Under the proposed change, Perryville would appoint its next chief with input from a five-member citizens' committee, city administrator Brent Buerck said Tuesday.

In addition to enabling the city to fire a chief if necessary, the switch could help Perryville attract better-qualified candidates, Mayor Debbie Gahan has said.

The current ordinance requires only that the chief be at least 21 years old, live in the city at least a year and have at least 120 hours of police training -- a fraction of the training patrol officers are required to have in a city the size of Perryville, Buerck and Gahan have said.

No matter what happens in November, those requirements need to be updated, alderman Prince Hudson said Tuesday.

"Either way, we'll at least do something to raise the qualifications," Hudson said.

Buerck said the advisory committee recommended adopting the standards set forth by the Missouri Police Chiefs' Association.

Among other things, the association recommends a chief have at least 10 years of law enforcement experience, including some supervisory experience, and a bachelor's degree or comparable training and experience in law enforcement.

"They [the standards] work well if it's an appointed position," Buerck said. "They work much less well if it's an elected person."

If voters approve the measure, the board could begin searching for a new chief after the November election, Gahan has said. If they reject it, Lt. Direk Hunt will continue to serve as interim chief until Tarrillion's term ends in April.

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