Columbiana Police Chief William Myers will retire on April 4, after more than three decades in law enforcement. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

COLUMBIANA — After more than three decades in law enforcement, the city’s police chief is hanging up his holster.

The city hired William Myers as police chief in 2021 to replace Tim Gladis.

Myers, whose last official day is April 4, admitted taking over the department amid a pandemic was challenging, but overall he enjoyed the experience.

As he prepares to make his exit, city officials interviewed potential chief candidates Thursday and Friday, with plans to hopefully name a new police chief on April 1, explained city manager Lance Willard.

The police chief selection committee is made up of Willard, mayor Rick Noel, council president “Skip” Liston, councilman Robert Quetot, municipal attorney Mark Hutson, and deputy city administrator Bryce Miner.

Earlier in the process, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police had accessed the potential candidates, which does include some internal applicants within the department. City officials received a final report containing a breakdown of the candidates’ scores.

Currently, including Myers, the department employs 17 full-time officers, 12 having been hired by Myers since he took over command.

“Overall, we have a good group,” Myers said, explaining that they generally need little oversight, and adding that of all the vehicles stopped for traffic offenses within city limits that they only have a 30 percent citation rate.

He also oversees the city’s dispatch, which operates one of Columbiana County’s PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Point), dispatching calls for both Columbiana and Leetonia’s public safety forces.

Myers is perhaps most proud of this efforts to modernize Columbiana’s police force, whether hiring female officers in a heavily male profession, or the technological advances under his leadership.

Columbiana currently employees three female officers, which he speculated might be the most in Columbiana County.

Among his equipment acquisitions have been an electronic fingerprint machine, the Intoxilyzer 8000 and body cameras.

Myers also increased the fleet to include 12 cruisers, including two K-9 take home cars; improved to a digital radio system; and is in the process of adding a mobile command unit trailer for area use that they took delivery of last month.

The oldest cruiser in the fleet is only four years old.

What will he perhaps miss the most?

The interaction with Columbiana residents ranks high up there.

“It has been a good run. I’ve met some interesting people and made some good friends along the way,” Myers said.

In addition to previously working as a part-time patrolman for the city and Leetonia police, Myers worked as a welfare fraud investigator for the Columbiana County Job and Family Services for 20 years.