MADISON, Alabama — The Madison City Council passed a resolution on Thursday, May 20, allowing Mayor Paul Finley to enter negotiations with Captain John Gandy from the Virginia Beach Police Department to become the city of Madison's new police chief.
Mayor Finley said he intends to finalize employment terms for the Council to vote on by the June 14 City Council meeting.
"It was our job to present four extremely qualified candidates to Council for consideration, and we will move forward quickly to finalize this choice. As Mayor, I am looking forward to working alongside Mr. Gandy to ensure that public safety and community connection with our residents in Madison continues to stay strong," says Mayor Paul Finley.
The city said employment negotiations will take place in the coming weeks and the Council is prepared to approve Gandy's appointment.
The city began holding interviews with finalists for the position on May 8. The city provided background information on each candidate at that time. Gandy's background information can be read below:
Johnny Gandy is a Captain of the City of Virginia Beach Police Department, currently supervising more than 100 certified officers and non-sworn staff for a precinct of approximately 250 square miles. The 1st Precinct incorporates the US Navy’s East Coast Master Jet Base, industrial and office complexes, a large shopping mall, and numerous residential neighborhoods from assisted housing to multi-million dollar homes. Captain Gandy has progressed with the Department since he was hired as a Patrol Officer in 1987, becoming an Acting Detective in 1991, and a regular Detective in 1996, promoted to Sergeant in 2000, a Lieutenant in 2010, and then a Captain in 2018.
Captain Gandy has a long list of achievements. Two examples include: 1) establishment of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program, developing in-service training for Police Officers, and authorized a grant package to start the program, partnered with many CIT staffed agencies that resulted in the largest most successful program in the state; and 2) When Captain Gandy supervised the department’s Domestic Violence Unit (DMU), the local Navy military bases had an epidemic of domestic violence incidents involving military families due to increased deployments, and Captain Gandy was asked to tailor the program for military members, which resulted in a drop in incidents.
Captain Gandy has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University, and a Master’s in Criminal Justice from Troy University, and completed the FBI National Academy in 2017.
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