The city of Columbus has been in pursuit of a brand new Police Chief. The search has been underway and has now been narrowed down to the top two finalists and they are ready to face the public.
The top two sat down with NBC4 for exclusive interviews, which you can check out below.
Quinlan is the current interim Chief of Police for Columbus and started his career as an officer in Madison Township.
He started his career back in 1989 when he first joined the Columbus Division of Police. Since then Quinlan has worn many hats within the department. In 2013, earned the title of Deputy Chief of the Patrol North Sub Division. He took on the role of interim chief after Kim Jacobs retired.
He an alumni of The Ohio State University, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Criminal Justice. He earned his Masters in Science in Human Resource Administration from Central Michigan University in 2001. Quinlan also graduated from the FBI National Academy Class 249 and the Police Executive Leadership Institute.
He believes it’s important for the next chief to work closely with the community.
“That’s really what I enjoy the most, interacting with people and finding ways to make a safe neighborhood for everyone,” he said.
Tarrant is hailing from Seattle where he is a former assistant chief of police with the Seattle Police Department.
His career in law enforcement began in 1980 with the Tucson Police Department. With his hard work he reached the rank of Captain, leading the Investigation Division, Specialized Response Division and South Patrol Division.
Tarrant was aquired the position of Assistant Chief of Police in Seattle in 2015, which came down as part of a shakeup in that department’s leadership. He retired in September of 2018.
Tarrant’s stance is grounded in fostering positive relationships between officers and the community.
“It’s pretty difficult to have change or make change occur within an organization without community support,” he said. “So this won’t be a Perry effort; this will be a community effort to diversify Columbus.”
A public meet and greet has been set up for residents of Columbus get to know the candidates. A forum will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. at East High School, 1500 E. Broad St.
Source: NBC4i
