The Buzz: Exit interview: Dan Zivkovich

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Jackson Police Chief Dan Zivkovich will vacate his post July 10 for a position in Massachusetts, where he will direct the state’s Municipal Police Training Committee. The new job will give him oversight of some 350 police departments, with a constituency of as many chiefs of police. In an exit interview, Zivkovich, who took over the JPD in 2005, talks about his experience here and also weighs in on the debate to consolidate Jackson Police and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office. 

JH Weekly: Are you stepping up in the world?

Chief Dan Zivkovich: No. I consider it the next juncture of my career. This has quite honestly been the best experience I’ve ever had. It’s not so much it’s a promotion as it’s another opportunity and another challenge. They’re in transition there [in Massachusetts] so that will present many challenges and I’m looking forward to that. 

JHW: Did your announcement catch Town officials off guard?

DZ: Well, the only one I directly conveyed that to was my boss, the Town Manager [Bob McLaurin]. And yes, to some degree. But I gave him a heads up early in the process when we were in the interview stages with the position. 

JHW: Any word on who might step in to fill your place?

DZ: No. As he mentioned in the media last week, he has sent a message internally asking for people who are interested and the deadline for that is Thursday. He hopes to have an interim appointed by Monday. 

JHW: Do you feel like a permanent replacement can be found in-house? 

DZ: That’s a policy decision for the Town Manager, since he appoints the police chief and I’m sure he’ll be in consultation with the Town Council about that. I can’t speak on his behalf, but I do know there are very capable people internally, but as you know I came from the outside so there are merits to going either way.  Even when I was appointed he spent time talking to the mayor and talking to the Town Council about the candidates and getting their inputs.

JHW: Will your sudden departure affect the discussion to consolidate the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office?

DZ: I think it’s an opportunity to revisit that to see if there’s any interest on either or both the [Town Council’s and County Commissioner’s] points of view just as the discussion took a spike when Sheriff Zimmer retired [in January]. I would hope that this is an opportunity for the town and county to at least look at it and discuss it and see if this is something they want to go forward with or leave it as is.

JHW: Do you believe this could set the wheels in motion for a real resolution to the consolidation issue?

DZ: When you talk about resolution, there’s three ways that can go. One is resolving that we need to go forward. One is that there is no interest. And the third would be that there is interest but other things need to be in place. So I couldn’t say simply because I don’t know what the feelings of the Council and the board of County Commissioners are on the topic. There was just a cursory discussion earlier this year, but it really did not get into the nuts and bolts of moving forward. 

JHW: What would your recommendation be?

DZ: It’s going to sound like I’m sidestepping the issue or avoiding the question, but the reality is it truly is a community. There are benefits to combining the departments, but there are also drawbacks. The benefit is there are some efficiencies you gain. Some people say ‘cost savings.’ Those will be minimal. What’s lost is then you don’t have your town police force and the town loses its identifiable Jackson Police Department, and its established policing philosophies and priorities and other things directly linked with the police department. They would have to work with the sheriff to have those things implemented. I’ve said since I got here I don’t have an opinion, it’s just a question of getting a clear view of what the community wants and making sure they understand the ramifications of going either way.

JHW: Why do some say the system isn’t sustainable as is? That true?

DZ: Not necessarily. I think the system we have now works very well. We work very well with the Sheriff’s Office and they work very well with us. if we need help they’re available. For example, after Fourth of July we’re going to be doing traffic control and the only way that’s possible  is the Sheriff’s Office contributing members who will be directing traffic on Broadway. Likewise, we help them with calls and investigations. So the system we have now works because both agencies work very well. But, a unified department can work very well too. 

JHW: What are the consequences of no action?

DZ: Probably there are no drawbacks because we operate very well. The thing to be gained would be the efficiencies in having a unified police force. People argue that both offices are 200 feet apart here, and Sheriff’s deputies come in and out of town, where we have police officers and it just seems to make sense that everything is centrally located already so why wouldn’t you have a unified department? The gain would be some efficiencies.

You need to look at it more in terms of what you gain than what the loss would be. It’s one thing to make it a point of communicating, “This is what we’re investigating in case you run across something.” It’s another thing when you’re actually passing people in the hallway or being in the same office. Certainly there would be increased communication. That would be the biggest benefit, and a little bit of streamlined efficiency in the allocation of resources. 

JHW: What are you going to miss most?

DZ:The people. This has been a great department. I feel like we’ve been successful and the only way that happens is if everybody on the team pulls together. I think everybody in the department would agree that we’re a very diverse bunch and have our differences, but in spite of those differences, we pull together and have done a good job. It’s a hardworking bunch dedicated to this community and dedicated to the philosophies of community planning. We’re not perfect but we’re good.  JHW

COURTESY STACEY CAESAR
An officer and a gentleman, and sometimes a mad man: Dan Zivkovich.

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The Buzz: Exit interview: Dan Zivkovich | Planet JH News Article: General News

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