Officers welcome Port Orchard’s new police chief

"A long line of uniform-clad law enforcement officers paraded into City Hall Monday, showing support for Port Orchard’s new police chief.City Council members officially appointed Alan Townsend of Lincoln, Neb. as chief. According to Mayor Jay Weatherill, the 33-year-old is scheduled to begin his duties Jan. 3.“I was glad to see so many officers and reservists there to say, ‘Welcome,’” Weatherill said of the event.All in all, city officials say they are pleased and excited about Townsend’s appointment.So is Townsend.After gracefully accepting the appointment, Townsend, who is resigning as a Lincoln Police precinct sergeant, said he’s excited about working for the people of Port Orchard. His schedule over the next few weeks is chock-full with plans to purchase a new home, secure daycare services here for his 3-year-old son and move cross-country during the holidays.Weatherill selected Townsend from among three finalists for the position after several months of sifting through some 24 applications.The mayor said that initially, Townsend was the most attractive prospect because of his potential “longevity.”“After investigating him further and talking with several contacts and former co-workers, and after the results of his tests came in, Alan proved to be a bright young man and an outstanding individual,” Weatherill confirmed. “Age wasn’t the only factor, but he was in that age bracket where he’d be with us for a while.”Qualities Weatherill admires in Townsend are his problem-solving abilities and the way he formulates plans.“He is good at giving direction and he provides good reason for his decisions,” Weatherill said. “He’ll tell you why he’s doing something.”While interviewing with Weatherill, Townsend reportedly said he is also looking forward to moving to the Pacific Northwest because he’s tired of 100-degree summers and below-zero winters in Nebraska.“We had been looking to move to the Northwest, anyway, so I was looking for job opportunities there,” he explained. “So when I found out about the posititon in Port Orchard, I applied.”Townsend also said he and his wife are looking forward to raising their 3-year-old son in the Port Orchard area.Over the last 10 years, Townsend has worked within the Lincoln Police. As a sergeant, he reportedly supervised officers older than himself."

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