The city of Geneva has named its next Chief of Police.
Matthew Colton will begin his new role with the department at the end of the month. Colton, who is currently the Acting Chief, joined the Geneva Police Department in 2008. During his tenure, Colton has held a number of positions within the department including Lieutenant, Detective, and Officer.
City Manager Amie Hendrix said Acting Chief Colton has extensive experience in the Uniform Division, the Detective Bureau, Labor Union operations, and administrative functions of the department. She said The interview panel as well as community members were impressed by his focus on communication, working in partnership with the community, support for officer and departmental development, and his desire to build and maintain trust with internal and external stakeholders.
The search process to replace Michael Passalacqua yielded half-a-dozen candidates with Hendrix saying three strong internal candidates emerged ready to lead the department and three external candidates wanted to join the team. Following civil service rules, the three internal candidates were given preference for the position. Community members were asked to assist with creating questions as well as outlaying potential goals for the selected candidate within their first year. Over 150 questions and goals were submitted and nearly 700 people have now watched the public interviews.
Former Chief Passalacqua’s last day on the job was June 30th. He had served as chief since July 2018 and began his career with the department in June 2003. Passalacqua was promoted to sergeant in 2011, and lieutenant six years later.
