BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL -- In recent years, a number of Northern Kentucky cities have hired former Cincinnati police officers to be their police chiefs, but Fort Mitchell is taking a different approach.
The new leader of the Fort Mitchell Police Department was recruited from within -- Steve Hensley, a sergeant until last week and a member of the department for more than 11 years. He now has the title of acting chief, but is at the center of a unique deal that likely will give him the job by the end of next year.
"The mayor and I did talk about advertising the position, about finding somebody maybe from Cincinnati," said City Administrator Bill Goetz. "But we just felt that we would like to give Steve the opportunity."
The list of former Cincinnati Police Division officers hired by Northern Kentucky departments is long. Among them: Jeff Butler, former Kenton County chief; Ace Ammann, former Boone County chief; Independence Chief Ed Porter; former Fort Wright Chief Mark Brown. Former Forest Park Chief Steve Vollmar recently took over the department in Edgewood.
Fort Mitchell's decision comes at what could be an especially trying time -- its top two veterans are retiring. Capt. Mary Allen retires this year; former Chief Don Delaney next.
That's why the deal to promote Acting Chief Hensley, 36, involves the former chief staying around awhile. A veteran of the department for nearly 20 years, he is now its compliance officer. That involves a variety of duties, including making policies and helping his likely replacement.
Acting Chief Hensley said he was impressed that the city administration would be so proactive in working out a plan for the department's future more than a year before the former chief actually leaves. "I was really impressed, too, that they had enough confidence in me to try this," he said. "They could've gone outside.
"But sometimes, people coming in from the outside have a lot to learn about a new department. I think I know very well what the people of this community expect and what they want from their police officers."
