Hot Springs City Manager David Frasher announced today his selection of Jason Stachey of Hot Springs as the new police chief for the Hot Springs Police Department.
Stachey was chosen from an initial pool of 75 candidates. The detailed selection process involved screenings by the city’s Human Resources Department, narrowing down of applicants to 15 by the Civil Service Commission, background checks, and selection of the top five finalists by an executive team of senior city staff members. The finalists underwent interviews by a professional panel composed of law enforcement leaders from multiple jurisdictions and several states. A panel of community leaders as well as the city’s executive team interviewed the finalists, and a meet-and-greet gave residents the opportunity to visit with them. Frasher made the final decision.
“The selection process was objective, professional and neutral, while highly competitive,” City Manager David Frasher stated. “We excluded several people who wanted to serve as interviewers because they had relationships with the candidates. The panelists weren’t aware of each other’s rankings. They submitted their rankings to the Human Resources Director, who held them until after the executive panel interviews were completed. The quality of the candidates was very high. The fact that Jason ranked the highest is very impressive, considering the outstanding field of law enforcement professionals with whom he competed.
“Once two of the candidates emerged as the main contenders, I pressed Jason on his crime reduction strategy, my top priority. After further vetting, I arrived at the decision that Jason was the best fit for our police department at this point in time.”
“I am humbled and honored to be selected,” Stachey said. “This position is a very critical one for the City of Hot Springs. An extremely high-caliber group of law enforcement professionals joined me in this competition, and I was so proud to be part of such an extraordinary process. I’d like to thank Mr. Frasher and our senior staff for having faith in me to place me in this position. I am really looking forward to leading the men and women of the Hot Springs Police Department as we progress toward becoming the best law enforcement agency in the state of Arkansas.”
Frasher’s goals for Stachey include:
1. Reduce crime and help clean up neighborhoods in Hot Springs.
2. Reduce drug activity in Hot Springs.
3. Advance professionalism within the police department.
4. Enhance the department’s reputation and measurable performance consistent with the top police agencies in the state.
Stachey accepted a salary offer of $95,000. He will officially assume the position of police chief tomorrow, Saturday, May 28.
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Background information on Jason Stachey
Jason Stachey, a Hot Springs native, holds a bachelors’ degree from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree from Columbia Southern University. He received additional training in supervision and training from University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute and the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, and is a certified law enforcement instructor from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. Stachey has served 19 years with the police department in the City of Hot Springs, population 36,000, leading to his appointment as interim police chief in December 2015. He is responsible for the department’s recent accreditation through the Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, the first law enforcement agency in the state to do so. He researched, developed and published 188 individual policies and directives that met or exceeded ALEAP’s best practices criteria and currently serves ALEAP by evaluating other agencies aspiring to achieve accredited status. Stachey developed the department’s $12 million annual budget and prepared grants totaling $5 million in funding. He currently co-chairs the four-county Child Abduction Response Team and has extensive experience in SWAT team leadership, crisis negotiation and administrative investigation. Stachey introduced and implemented procedural justice training for all sworn personnel; developed the curriculum for the Citizens Police Academy; and instituted a crime prevention program for businesses and neighborhoods.