Lindman Makes Final 5 For SPD Chief

A special hiring committee will interview the final five finalists for the chief job and recommend two or three candidates to council.

Interim Saline Police , of Garden City, made the final five. Also making the cut were:

• Retired deputy chief and interim police chief Gregg Brighton, Dearborn;

• Retired chief Larry Hrinik, Davison Township;

• Deputy chief Robert J. Kerr, Canton Township;

• Police captain Gerald S. Scherlinck, Troy.

The five finalists will be interviewed by a hiring committee comprising Mayor Gretchen Driskell, City Council members David Rhoads and Brian Marl, Chelsea Police Chief Ed Toth and Saline city manager Todd Campbell.

“The hiring committee has been very impressed with the high quality of applicants that submitted their credentials for the Saline Police Chief position," said Campbell in a statement released Friday. "The committee is looking forward to interviewing the five semi-finalists as they continue to work towards narrowing the field to two or three finalists to present to the Saline City Council for their consideration.” 

The new chief is expected to be in place by July 1. Lindman was hired in January to . The city also lost veteran deputy chief to retirement last year. During the search for an interim chief, the city planned on hiring someone with no interest in the permanent position.

Last month, though the search for the permanent chief was underway, the to allow Lindman to compete for the job.

“Some of you have heard, as I have, good things about Chief Lindman from people in the department and from the community,” Campbell said in April. “It turns out he loves it here in Saline.”

Campbell brought it to the hiring committee, which unanimously voted to add him to the pool.

The hiring committee will conduct interviews next week, according to Campbell, with recommendations coming as soon as the next city council meeting, May 21.

The hiring committee interviews are not open to the public.