Lancaster city police chief finalists to meet community today at City Hall
Lancaster City is preparing to appoint a new police chief before the end of the year. Current chief Richard Mendez, the city’s first Hispanic leader of the force, is retiring at 50. The selection process has now reached its final stage, with three candidates shortlisted for the role.
The Lancaster City Council has named Captain Randall Zook as interim chief while the search continues. Zook currently leads the patrol division and will step in once Mendez leaves.
A public meeting is being held today to introduce the three finalists. Running from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the event takes place in the Polite Council Chambers at City Hall, 120 N. Duke St. The candidates include Brian Wiczkowski, 58, who now serves as chief of the West Lampeter Township Police Department. Easton McDonald, also 58, previously worked as assistant chief in Alexandria, Virginia. Mirtha Ramos, 54, was most recently chief of the DeKalb County Police Department in Georgia. The final decision rests with Mayor-elect Jaime Arroyo. He has stated that integrity, leadership experience, and community focus will guide his choice.
The new chief will take over from Mendez, who leaves after years of service. Arroyo’s selection will determine the future direction of Lancaster’s police force. The public meeting offers residents a chance to meet the candidates before a final appointment is made.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
