City one step closer to filling Director of the Community Police Review Board position

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- The South Bend Common Council has narrowed down the candidate pool for the Director of the Community Police Review Board position to just two. Candidates Stephanie Ball and Charles L. King both remain in the running. The council had the option to recommend three candidates to the Mayor, who makes the final decision on who will fill the position, but they chose to recommend just the two instead in Monday’s meeting.  

Ball and King were seen as frontrunners for the position after public forums and meetings attended by both council members and the community, and both candidates call South Bend their home, something council members said was key. 

 “I’m grateful that we’re finally at this point,” says Vice President of the South Bend Common Council, Sheila Niezgoski. “It’s been a long process, but we want to make sure it was the correct process.”  

Interviews for the position started again last May, with nearly 50 candidates. Now it's down to two, who will be recommended to Mayor James Mueller to make the final decision. 

Stephanie Ball is one of the recommended candidates; she serves on the South Bend Community School Board and has done extensive work in low-income housing in the community. Charles L. King is the second candidate; he's a pastor and Director of Urban Youth Services at the YMCA of Greater Michiana. Both are from the South Bend area.  

The open hiring process was especially important to council members after Joshua Reynolds, the original director, resigned two years ago after it was discovered he had several suspensions while working with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.  

Local activist groups came together to push for a more transparent hiring process, and now it’s down to two finalists. 

“They are passionate about our community and will be good liaisons between the community and the police department, and I’m thankful that we’re finally at this point,” says Council member Canneth Lee. 

Mayor James Mueller now holds the decision as to who will fill the position, it’s unclear when he will be making that final decision.