Bowers officially becomes Warren’s new police chief

By Ed Runyan

Bowers is likely to make less money as chief than as captain.

WARREN — It took the three members of the Warren Civil Service Commission about a minute to review two test scores and declare Tim Bowers, acting police chief since April, the city’s new police chief.

“Congratulations to the new chief of police,” Atty. James Fredericka, civil service commission chairman, said to Bowers while shaking his hand Wednesday morning in the data-processing building behind City Hall.

Bowers, 54, has been a Warren officer for 31 years and has held the rank of captain for nearly nine years.

Bowers, a 1974 graduate of James A. Garfield High School in Garrettsville, scored higher than the other candidate who took the 150-question multiple-choice test Aug. 20: Lt. Cathy Spencer.

Bowers becomes the head of a department that was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice several years ago for alleged human-rights violations, experienced the layoff of 20 of its 81 officers Jan. 1 because of budget shortfalls, and has had to conduct internal-affairs investigations regarding five of its officers this year.

The most recent allegation named Bowers’ chief assistant, Lt. Joseph Marhulik, who is on paid administrative leave over allegations that he uttered racial slurs to two men on bicycles late Aug. 16 on Highland Avenue Southwest.

Bowers has assigned Lt. Tom Skoczylas to take over Marhulik’s responsibilities on a temporary basis and is hopeful Marhulik will be back on the job soon.

“If for some reason he [Marhulik] didn’t come back, he’d be very hard to replace,” Bowers said.

Bowers expects to be sworn in to the chief’s job next week.

Several captains and lieutenants turned down the opportunity to test for the police chief’s job. One reason might be the pay.

In 2008, Bowers’ predecessor, John Mandopoulos, made $87,355, which is about $3,000 less than Bowers made: $90,703. Mandopoulos earned longevity pay on top of his base salary of $40.56 per hour. But as a management employee, he didn’t qualify for overtime, as Bowers did. Captains make $36.12 per hour.

Bowers has an associate degree in law enforcement from Kent State University and is working toward completion of his bachelor’s degree at Hiram College.

Bowers said only this of his reason for wanting to be Warren’s police chief: “It’s a goal achieved.”

The Rev. Frank Hearns, one of the three civil service commission members, said of Bowers: “I hope Mr. Bowers will be fair and equal and treat everyone in the department the same and show regard for everyone in the community.”

The Rev. Mr. Hearns noted that Warren’s form of government, a statutory city under the Ohio Revised Code, does not allow the city to hire a police chief from outside the city. Cities with a charter form of government, such as Youngstown, can advertise for a police chief and hire from outside the department.

The commission also reviewed the test results for six captains in the Warren Fire Department who sought to become assistant chief. The positions became vacant by the retirement of Gary McBride and Gary Shaffer.

Capt. Dan Suttles scored the highest, getting 110 out of 113 correct, followed by Neil Heller and Rick Yauger, who got 103 right. Jeff Younkins got 102 right.

The civil service commission will have to determine what form of tiebreaker will apply in choosing whether Yauger or Heller gets the job, Fredericka said.

runyan@vindy.com