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Police chief finalists interviewing this week

JANESVILLE — Four finalists will interview this week to be Janesville's new police chief.

The Janesville Police and Fire Commission on Thursday and Friday will interview finalists:

-- Thomas J. Christensen, deputy police chief, Racine.

-- Michael D. Kostecki, former police chief, McHenry, Ill.

-- Dave J. Moore, deputy police chief, Janesville.

-- Bradford L. Woods, former police commander, Chicago.

Moore, acting police chief, was the only internal applicant among 43 people from 19 states, official said.

The commission sought candidates from cities similar to Janesville or cities in the region. It also wanted candidates with experience as police chief or second in command.

On Thursday, finalists will meet the city manager, meet other city department heads and tour the city, said Staci Nielson, chair of the city Police and Fire Commission.

Finalists will be required to participate in a written and oral exercise to measure how they would respond to a problem, she said.

Candidates also will interview with police union leadership and a civilian employee, Nielson said.

A panel of Wisconsin police chiefs will evaluate the written and oral tests, she said.

Everyone who meets the finalists will provide feedback to the commission, Nielson said.

A dinner with the finalists, city department heads and commission members will be held Thursday night, she said.

On Friday, the commission will review feedback from others and interview each candidate for 90 minutes, Nielson said.

Commission members will deliberate after the interviews and could decide to offer a finalist the job Friday night, she said.

The commission also could decide later, conduct more interviews with finalists or invite more applicants for interviews, Nielson said.

Christensen wants to stay in Wisconsin

Tom Christensen, 50, is ready to be chief.

He wants to advance his career while remaining in Wisconsin.

"I've visited Janesville several times," Christensen said. "It is very similar to the city of Racine. You've got some great older neighborhoods with a lot of character."

Christensen is the Racine Police Department deputy chief. He has been with the department for more than 30 years and has been patrol commander and director of the 911 Communications Center.

Christensen has been married 28 years and has three adult sons. After years of family-oriented activities, he now has an empty nest. He and his wife enjoy theater productions.

Christensen has a master's degree in public administration from UW-Milwaukee. He has a bachelor's degree in public management and criminal justice from Carthage College.

Geoff Greiveldinger, chief of staff in Racine County, said he knows Christensen through his work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Racine County.

He said Christiansen is a man who understands law enforcement.

"He is able, articulate and has an extraordinary sense of humor," Greiveldinger said. "He is very perceptive."

Christensen genuinely believes law enforcement is here to serve, he said.

"Sometimes it's easy for cops to be hardened by their experience, but that's just not true of Tom," Greiveldinger said. "He's got a real sense of the understanding of life and the difficulties that people go through."

Alan Baker, chief of the Danbury, Conn., Police Department, worked with Christensen in Racine for 25 years. He said Christensen has had command of every division in Racine.

Christensen also is from a place similar to Janesville, Baker said, and he could step in and do the job.

"Tom is a very hard worker. He is very diligent, very fair and very honest," he said.

In Racine, Christensen has helped transform neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods have gone from places no one wants to walk through at night to places that hold Boy Scouts camps, Christensen said.

He looks forward to next week's interview process.

"The contact I've had with city officials has been very pleasant and inviting," Christensen said.

Kostecki wants to serve the community

Mike Kostecki, 59, believes in community policing, and he wants to bring his philosophy to Janesville residents.

"My wife and I spend time in Wisconsin," Kostecki said. "We camp up there. It's a nice, beautiful community right on the Rock River."

Kostecki was chief of the McHenry, Ill., Police Department until 2001. He previously was at the Addison, Ill., Police Department for 27 years. He has owned and managed a hobby store for the past eight years.

Kostecki has been married for 38 years and has two adult daughters. He enjoys building and flying radio-controlled helicopters and airplanes.

He has a master's degree in criminal and social justice from Lewis University and a bachelor's degree in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University.

Joe Block, village manager in Addison, knows Kostecki from his years climbing the ranks with his police department. He said Kostecki worked well with other city departments and elected officials.

"Mike is a super guy," he said. "I think Janesville would be lucky to have him."

Kostecki has people skills, a solid public image and an understanding of police work in a midsize community, Block said.

He also develops relationships with people and organizations in his community, he said.

"He understands the need for the public to be part of the police department and for the department to have ties to the community," Block said.

Steve Cuda, former mayor of McHenry, described Kostecki as serious and friendly. He said Kostecki is a regular guy and open with people.

"You would feel very comfortable having a cup of coffee with him and talking about what's going on in the world," Cuda said. "You would never get the feeling that this guy is an ego maniac and the new police chief in town."

Kostecki took the McHenry department to a higher level of professionalism, Cuda said, bringing the department into the computer age, improving training and demanding more from officers.

"That's what we wanted. We wanted a smooth and efficient operation. And that's what we got with Mike," Cuda said. "I'm a big fan of Mike's. I thought he did a great job."

Later this week, Kostecki wants to learn what Janesville residents want from their police department.

"I'm very interested in the position and very interested in the city of Janesville," Kostecki said.

Moore has Janesville in his blood

Dave Moore, 52, is a local boy.

He wants to be chief in the city he loves.

"Janesville is my community. I grew up here. I raise my children here," Moore said. "I don't view the chief position as the last stop before retirement or the stepping stone to another community. It's an opportunity to serve this community as I never have before."

Moore is the acting police chief at the Janesville Police Department. He has been with the department for 32 years. He has led all aspects of the agency.

Moore has been married 25 years and has two children attending Craig High School. His family is most important to him, but he also is a pilot and runs along the Ice Age Trail.

Moore has a master's degree in corporate/public communication from UW-Whitewater and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Mount Senario College.

Kerri Parker, executive director of YWCA Rock County, knows Moore from their work on domestic violence.

"I've really had a chance to see his operating style and his teamwork," Parker said. "He has always been very accessible and quick to run down an answer when something is going on."

She described Moore as genuine, courteous, honest and open.

"With Dave, what you see is what you get," Parker said. "There are some people who hold their cards close to their chest, and I don't think that's Dave.

"I think he always has the best interest of Janesville citizens at heart, and he always has the eye for the big picture."

Sheriff Bob Spoden said Moore is the right person to lead Janesville. He said Moore has a grasp for the city's past and ideas for its future.

"We need to have someone who has a true understanding of the pulse of the community," Spoden said. "He is completely committed. Right now, that's what we need. We need someone who appreciates where we've been and where we need to go."

Moore cooperates, shares intelligence and communicates with other agencies, Spoden said. That isn't always the case in other counties.

Every officer in the police department has been deputized in large part because Moore and his officers are competent, Spoden said.

This week, Moore will present the police and fire commission with a two-year business plan on his vision for the police department's future. He said he gathered input from officers and command staff.

"I am dedicated to keeping this community safe," Moore said.

Chicago police veteran ready for new challenge

Brad Woods, 60, wants to leave the big city.

He spent his entire law enforcement career with the Chicago Police Department, climbing the ranks to commander.

He said he's ready to lead in Janesville.

"I just think it's a great town. The area seems to really fit me," Woods said. "I'm looking to move from the big city to a midsize city. It seems like a nice place to move on with your career."

Woods is a self-employed consultant after leaving the Chicago Police Department after 37 years.

He has been married for nearly 40 years and has two children, ages 34 and 30. He enjoys boating, fishing and snowmobiling. He likes football and baseball.

He also is an avid reader and teacher, including a stint as an instructor at the Northwestern University Command School.

He has a master's degree in counseling psychology from Adler Institute of Professional Psychology and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Lewis University.

"He's a very outgoing guy. He's a very responsible guy. He's very dedicated," said Rich Stevens, former chief of organized crime in the Chicago Police Department.

"His integrity is beyond reproach," he said. "He's still got the urge and the ball of fire to do something in law enforcement."

While in Chicago, Woods was in charge of budgets, hiring, contracts, promotions, union negotiations and other aspects of the personnel unit, Stevens said.

Woods is a consistent leader who gets respect from employees under his command, he said. His employees are loyal to him.

Charles Roberts, former assistant deputy superintendent in the Chicago Police Department, said he met Woods when he was a young detective in his 20s.

Woods is intelligent, energetic and willing to learn, Roberts said.

"He is one of those rare people who is not content with the status quo," he said. "He not only gets the job done, but he gets it done well."

During his time in Chicago, Woods was in charge of festivals, marches and New Year's Eve celebrations. He said he also has seen every crime imaginable.

Police departments should work with the city's residents, Woods said, and he believes police departments should educate the public.

He hopes to do that in Janesville.

"I would love to move there," Woods said. "I think it would be wonderful."