Bowers awaits commission’s nod to be Warren’s new chief of police

Lt. Cathy Spencer concedes, wishes Bowers ‘all the best.’

WARREN — Barring unforeseen events, Tim Bowers, the city’s acting police chief, will become the permanent chief Sept. 2 when the Warren Civil Service Commission meets to certify the results of a test he and one other candidate took last Thursday.

Bowers scored an 85 percent on the 150-question multiple-choice test prepared by the Cleveland testing company Daniel T. Clancy & Associates.

The other candidate, Lt. Cathy Spencer, got 71 percent of the questions right. At least a 70 percent score was necessary to be selected.

Spencer said Tuesday that Bowers got 122 questions right, compared with her 107.

With that wide of a margin, there is no point in challenging any of the questions on the test for accuracy, so she’s conceding the position to Bowers, she said.

“I’m happy for him. I hope he gets in there and does a good job,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “I wish him all the best.”

She and Bowers received their scores at the same time Tuesday morning and opened them together in the lobby of the police department.

Michelle Scala, clerk for the Civil Service Commission, said that if neither candidate challenges any of the test questions, the Civil Service Commission is likely to meet Sept. 2 and decide whether to certify the results. Scala said she knows of no event likely to stand in the way of that process.

Bowers said he’s glad the selection process is over.

“I feel as though the department needs a leader in place, whether that is me or Cathy or someone else,” Bowers said. “The structure is set up to have a department head, and without one, we all struggle.”

Bowers has had difficult tasks to carry out as interim chief since April, including the matter of punishment for a sergeant who coached and attended youth basketball games in January through March while on city time and the three department supervisors who covered for him by falsifying time sheets.

The officers, who were all suspended for various amounts of time, have appealed their punishment.

“As interim chief, I had a lot of responsibility, but not a lot of authority,” Bowers said.

If Bowers becomes chief Sept. 2, he hopes to begin a conversation with city residents on what type of department will provide the best service.

Warren’s police department has followed the same “professional” model of law enforcement for 100 years, which relies heavily on patrol duties, response to crimes and investigations.

But other policing models, such as ones he studied for the chief test, “engage the community by being partners with them,” Bowers said.

That requires more interaction with members of the community, for instance, through block-watch meetings and social activities, he said.

With Bowers moving from captain to chief, promotions at the lower rungs are also likely, Bowers noted: Lt. Joseph Marhulik will become a captain, and Sgt. Martin Gargas will become a lieutenant.

Patrolman Joe Kistler is in line to become sergeant, but the city administration has discussed the possibility of eliminating one to two sergeant positions, so Kistler’s promotion may not occur, Bowers said.

The previous chief, John Mandopoulos, resigned under pressure in April.

runyan@vindy.com