Hale and a second finalist, Capt. David Pazynski of the Xenia Police Department, were interviewed by residents and the council earlier this month before Yellow Springs Village Manager Patti Bates made the final selection last week.
“While both candidates were well-qualified and interviewed well, in the end, it came down to what was best for the village and the department, and I thought that to be Dave Hale,” Bates said in a written statement.
Hale replaces the former village police chief Anthony Pettiford who resigned Sept. 19 due to a shoulder injury he sustained on the job shortly after he was hired. Pettiford had served in the role for almost two years.
A new contract for Hale is being negotiated, Bates said in the written statement. Under his current contract for interim police chief, he annually earns $70,000 but is not entitled to other employee benefits.
“I’m happy for the opportunity,” Hale said. “I look forward to growing the department. It doesn’t need a whole lot of changes but there are some things that need updating … I think there’s a lot of protocols, a lot of standardization that would be helpful to the department.”
Hale said the department was functioning well before he took over, but he is planning on providing more opportunities for staff training.
Yellow Springs Village Council President Karen Wintrow said she supported Bate’s choice for police chief and believes Hale will bring something “fresh” and “positive” to the village.
“Dave had connected with the community,” she said. “He reached out and has really gotten to know the community. He is really thoughtful about this community and policing in general.”
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