Following the recent suspension of Wellington City Police Captain Chad Feichko, the Wellington City Council has been addressing the restructuring of the department.
Fiechko appeared in front of the Police Officer Standard Training (POST) council on June 14 concerning a routine traffic stop in which an open container of alcohol was discovered in the vehicle he was operating. It was also stated that Feichko was not wearing a seatbelt and had no insurance or registration on the vehicle. As a result, Fiechko’s POST certification has been suspended for a one-year term.
The Wellington City Council has since made the decision that in the best interest of Wellington City, the police department will be restructured. According to Wellington City Ordinance 2018-04, a chief of police will be hired to supervise any and all officers and reserve officers in the Wellington City Police Department. The police department will be staffed by as many officers and reserve officers as determined by Wellington Mayor Joan Powell with a majority vote from city council.
Ordinance 2018-04 will replace previous ordinance 2013-08. The Wellington City Council approved the ordinance at its last city council meeting on July 11. At this time, Wellington City has opened applications for the position of police chief.