Jones said he has received 10 applications so far. Once all applications are received, a committee consisting of Jones and multiple police chiefs from around the area and the state will review them, set interviews, conduct assessments and eventually narrow down to a final candidate, which he hopes to name in early January.
“Chief Traud gave me plenty of advance notice that he was planning to retire,” Jones said. “I decided to post the position early to give us plenty of time for a smooth transition.
“He was ready to retire several years ago and I asked him to stay,” he said. “I appreciated his willingness to extend his career and he has done a nice job for us.”
The new chief will be the fourth in Trenton since 2006.
“It would be nice to get a chief that will stick around for a while,” Jones said. “But as long as the person does their job, works to continue to move the department forward and embraces our community, the amount of time here is not all that relevant.”
The 59-year-old Traud, who earns $83,000 a year as chief, started his career in 1981 in Trenton. He has served the community for 31 years first as a patrolman and then working his way up through the ranks to sergeant and then lieutenant before becoming chief in 2010.
“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to treat people as individuals and not as problems,” Traud said. “I try to make a difference by helping them in any way I can.”
The Trenton Police Department currently has a staff of 23 employees, including the chief, 13 patrolmen, four full-time dispatchers, four part-time dispatchers and an administrative assistant.
“Since I’ve been chief, it has been a challenge to keep staffing levels up,” said Traud, adding that crime statistics have fluctuated during his tenure as well. “The chief doesn’t have the ability to control (crime) in any meaningful way. What I’ve tried to do is direct my staff to problem areas.”
Traud has been counting down the days to his retirement for quite a while now.
“I’ve got 93 days left,” he said on Tuesday.
But it’s not because he can’t wait to get out, it’s because he can’t wait to start the next chapter in his life.
“I still enjoy coming to work every day,” the Lebanon native said. “I can’t think of anything worse than despising your job. That’s no way to live. I want to retire while I still enjoy the job.”
Traud is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for bow hunting. He plans to do more of it once he takes off his badge.
“Trenton has helped make me who I am,” Traud said. “I don’t know of a better community than this, and I like to think over the course of these years that I have made a difference.”
Vice mayor Ray Nichols considered one of Traud’s biggest challenges to be the transition of the staff as several new officers have come on board in the last few years.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” said Nichols, who has worked closely with Traud for more than 20 years through his association with the former Trenton Rescue Squad and now on council. “He always understood the needs of the community. He’s been a big-time asset to the city and he will be missed, not only as chief but as a friend. I hate to see him go.”
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