Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood announced today that three semi-final candidates will move forward in the City’s Police Chief selection process. The semi-finalists are:
- John DeRousse, Deputy Chief, Everett Police Department
- Dennis Flynn, Commander, Commerce City Police Department
- Rebecca Mertzig, Police Chief, Stanwood Police Department/Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
Brief biographies for each semi-finalist and more information about next steps in the selection process are available on the City’s Engage Bellingham Police Chief selection page.
The three candidates will be introduced to the Bellingham community during a virtual public forum scheduled for 5:30 p.m. March 17, 2022. After listening to the candidates, forum participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback through a survey.
For those not able to attend on March 17, a recording of the forum and access to the survey will be made available on the Engage Bellingham Police Chief selection page. The recording will be posted by the morning of March 18 and the survey will be open for public feedback until 5 p.m. Sunday, March 20.
“We are eager to introduce semi-final candidates as part of our commitment to involving the community in selecting our new Police Chief,” Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said.
The three semi-finalists were selected from a total of 15 applicants, including two submitted after the original deadline.
