VanArsdale confirmed as public safety director

Adkins announced the new position during the presentation of the 2015 Public Safety budget.

He said an assessment center will be scheduled during the first quarter of 2015 to select a new police chief. Deputy Chiefs Mark Hoffman and Rodney Muterspaw are expected to participate in the assessment center and whoever is selected as chief, the other will become the assistant chief.

In his new role, VanArsdale will report to Adkins.

Adkins said the some of the duties of the public safety director will include the development of a five-year plan to reduce public safety spending to 60 percent of General Fund expenditures; reduce the number of EMS calls for service; reduce crime; develop long-term dispatch and jail solutions; improve discipline throughout the Fire and Police divisions; change the public safety culture internally with staff and externally with the public; active interaction with landlords to improve business practices; better use of police reserves and explore similar program in the Fire Division in the the future; conduct a heroin summit with Atrium Medical Center; use of chronic nuisance/public nuisance laws and Community Revitalization and other tools to deal with problem properties; and partner with Atrium Medical Center with chronic EMS issues.