4 police chief candidates to get a second interview

None of the candidates is from outside the Austintown department.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Four candidates have been invited back for a second round of interviews as township trustees continue the process of hiring a new police chief.
The four, all lieutenants with the township department, are Mark Durkin, who has filled the chief's job on an interim basis; Robert Schaeffer, who is chief of detectives; Emil Grahovic; and Robert Gavalier.
Other candidates, also from within the township department, were Sgt. Jordan Yacovone, Sgt. Ron DeAmicis, Detective Sgt. John Myers and Sgt. Bill Hoelzel.
Township Administrator Michael Dockry said trustees will have the second interviews Dec. 3. He was not sure when they will make a final decision.
The township has had an interim chief, Lt. Bryan Kloss, since June. He did not seek the post permanently because of a residency issue. He said he does not want to move from his home in Canfield.
The previous chief, Gordon Ellis, left the department in June to become police chief in Franklin, Ohio.
Interim chief
Durkin was interim chief while Ellis was in Kosovo with the Ohio Army National Guard. He went on sick leave in March, recently returning to work.
Trustees were waiting for Durkin's doctor to approve his return to work before they proceeded with selecting a new chief so he would have a fair chance at competing for the post.
A three-member panel met to consider the eight applicants Nov. 16. It consisted of Boardman Police Chief Jeffrey Patterson, assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor Kenneth Cardinal and James Conser, a former Youngstown State University criminal justice professor.
Based on the panel's recommendations and their own interviews, which they had Nov. 18, trustees invited the four candidates back.
starmack@vindy.com