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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Triple-digit heat and lightning may lead to early wildfires ... Ashland wildfire commission meets Wednesday ... Ticket Availability ... Triple-digit heat and lightning may lead to early wildfires ... Ashland wildfire commission meets Wednesday ... Ticket Availability ... OUR VIEW Our View: Go slow on new chief Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Police Chief Terry Holderness will by all accounts leave the Ashland Police Department in better shape than he found it, and has earned the respect of city residents and the department's officers in his eight years at the helm. It's understandable that Holderness wants to help the city select his successor. He should be encouraged to make a recommendation, but city officials should be wary of allowing the search process to become too insular. Holderness came to Ashland in 2007 from Fontana, Calif., where he served 25 years, rising to the rank of captain. He was hired to take over a department that had a nearly 50 percent turnover rate and where officers had issued a vote of no confidence in then chief Mike Bianca. Holderness was brought on board in part to implement community policing policies recommended by an independent analysis of the department. He has done so during his tenure, and the department's turnover rate has dropped to an insignificant levels. Holderness told the City Council in a study session Monday that he has a successor in mind from within the department — although he did not name the person — and asked to be allowed to make a recommendation. That's not unreasonable, but the city's search committee should be wary of giving too much weight to the chief's preference at the expense of a thorough, national search with the city's best interest in mind. Fresh leadership from outside can be healthy even for the best-run organizations.  DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501