Goshen’s police chief hired to lead MetroParks’ force

The MetroParks department employs 34 officers.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Mill Creek MetroParks have a new police chief.

James D. Willock Jr. of Salem was named to the post after a nationwide search and series of interviews. He replaces Nathaniel Pinkard, who retired as chief in May after 28 years.

Willock is now chief of the Goshen Police District in Salem. He was selected from a small group of finalists, including in-house candidates.

“The members of the Mill Creek MetroParks Police Department have done an outstanding job of making the park safe and pleasant for visitors, and I’m excited to be working with a quality police department with such diverse skills and abilities,” Willock said.

The MetroParks police department employs 14 full-time and 20 part-time officers.

Dave Imbrogno, park system executive director of the park system, said, “The search committee had two prime requirements for filling this position. The first was a proven track record in law enforcement and police administration. The second was the ability to translate that into a visitor-friendly police presence in the MetroParks.”

Willock earned a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from Youngstown State University in both criminal justice and political science. He is a graduate of the Police Executive College of Leadership, which is a “three-week course presenting key executives leadership topics,” its Web site said. He is a certified law-enforcement executive.