Cincinnati Police Chief Michael Snowden, who announced in September that he will retire, has set Nov. 21 as his last day.
Chief Snowden, 50, has held the top position over a force of nearly 1,000 since 1992. His interim replacement has not yet been selected. Five assistant chiefs and six captains are eligible to take the exam Jan. 20 to fill the job as top cop. They are:
Lt. Col. Richard Biehl, who was promoted to assistant chief in July. He is in charge of investigations.
Lt. Col. Richard Janke, the most senior assistant chief. He was promoted in July 1997 and is in charge of the administrative bureau.
Lt. Col. James T. Smith, who was promoted to assistant chief in January and commands the resource bureau.
Lt. Col. Thomas Streicher Jr., who was promoted to assistant chief in January and is in charge of the division's patrol bureau. Lt. Col. Ronald Twitty, the first African American in the police division's history to be promoted to assistant chief. That promotion came in July. He commands the support bureau.
Capts. Phyllis Caskey in District 5; David Gregory in the planning section; Cindy Johns in the Criminal Investigation Section; Kenneth Jones in District 2; G. Alan Matthews in District 3; and Richard Schmalz, administrative assistant to the chief.
It will be the first opportunity for a woman or African American to rise to chief of the Cincinnati force.
