Finalists Invited to Interview for Salem Police Chief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 2020,

MEDIA CONTACT:
503-763-3459 | media@cityofsalem.net

Finalists Invited to Interview for Salem Police Chief

Salem, Ore. — After an in-depth recruitment and screening process, the City of Salem has invited two candidates to interview for the planned Police Chief vacancy for retiring Chief Jerry Moore.

The two finalists, Malik Aziz and Trevor Womack will be in Salem on October 30, 2020.  The City of Salem will host a virtual community forum as part of the interview process, including an opportunity for the residents to offer their questions of the candidates through a moderator.

About the Candidates:

Malik Aziz, Dallas, TX  
 Malik Aziz is a Major with the Dallas, Texas Police Department, having served with the agency since 1992. His specialties after nearly 30 years in law enforcement include law enforcement analysis, nonprofit leadership, budgeting, policy analysis, event planning, and government. His previous assignments in the department include Commanding Patrol, Special Operations, SWAT, Traffic, Investigations, and Support Services. He is currently leading night command for the northwest and north-central area of Dallas.

Major Malik Aziz earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from The University of Texas at Arlington attended the FBI National Academy and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in non-profit and organizational management from The University of Dallas.  He currently serves as the Chairman of the Dallas Police Museum and is the former National Chair and Executive Director of the National Black Police Association. Other highlights of his career include serving as a Master Peace Officer, cultural awareness instructor, Islam and Middle Eastern instructor, crime prevention specialist, ethics and diversity trainer, incident command system trainer, and chemical agent instructor. He has over 20 career commendations and skilled in basic and intermediate Arabic.

Trevor Womack, Stockton, CA
Deputy Chief Trevor Womack joined the Stockton, California Police Department in 1992.

As Deputy Chief, he led the Logistics Bureau for one year, which included the Administrative and Technical Services Divisions, then assumed his current position heading the Operations Bureau. He is the second-in-command and responsible for two-thirds of the department’s staff and budget, including the Field Operations Division (Patrol), Special Operations Division, and Investigations Division – along with more than 30 specialty programs such as Air Support, Canine, Crisis Intervention Team, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Deputy Chief Womack also has significant experience managing and investigating critical incidents,; implementing new technologies,; recruiting, training, and hiring.

Deputy Chief Womack earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from California State University Stanislaus, attended the FBI National Academy, and completed the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Executive Development Course. He earned his Master of Arts in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

How You Can Participate:
You can participate in the interview process for our new Chief of Police.  Residents can complete an online form to ask a question of the applicants.  Please note, the deadline to submit your question is October 29, 2020, at 1 pm. Questions will be asked by the interviewing moderator during the live portion of the interview process.  The interviews will stream live through the City’s  YouTube Channel

About Salem Police Chief Position:
The Chief of Police is responsible for all law enforcement activities within the city. The chief ensures the public safety needs of the community are met through law enforcement services and effective community partnerships which protect and improve the social well-being and security of citizens. The chief must deliver a timely, well-thought-out response to patterns of crime and disorder that threaten the peace and safety of our community. Details about the Salem Police Chief Vacancy and Job Announcement can found here.

About the Recruitment Process:
Chief Jerry Moore announced his retirement plans last year.  Last summer, we invited community input about priorities for Salem’s next Police Chief and qualities you would like the person to exhibit.  Earlier this year, we hired a national public sector recruiting firm to help with the recruitment.  More than 20 candidates made it through initial vetting.  This week, a screening panel of community members, area law enforcement officials, and City leadership interviewed a diverse group of applicants.  They recommended extending interviews to two finalists, Trevor Womack and Malik Aziz.

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