June 11. Gary Gacek, a police commander from Milwaukee, will be the new chief of the Concord Police Department. The position has been vacant since March, when former chief Guy Smith retired. Deputy City Manager and former chief Merl Hamilton has been serving as interim police chief during the search process.

Gacek was selected out of over 100 applicants. Six candidates were invited to participate in an assessment center with three panels made up of area law enforcement executives, community and neighborhood representatives, and staff, designed to provide feedback to the City Manager on the candidates’ job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. Gacek was one of two finalists selected for follow-up interviews.

“Concord has a strong Police Department made up of dedicated coworkers who care about our growing community,” said City Manager Brian Hiatt. “We were looking for a leader who can work with management, elected officials, and coworkers to develop and articulate a clear vision for the future. We also heard from the department that its leaders should have the skills to build upon our strong relationships within neighborhoods and with community groups. Chief Gacek’s broad experience in Milwaukee, combined with his law enforcement knowledge, has prepared him well for the job.”

The Milwaukee Police Department includes 2,000 sworn officers and 700 civilians, and serves a city of over 600,000 residents. Gacek began his career with the department as a police aide in 1990 and was appointed to police officer in 1993. After four years in uniformed and undercover positions, he was promoted to sergeant in 1998. Over seven years he served in a variety of roles including field supervision of 60 patrol officers, human resource management, and conducting confidential internal affairs investigations in the professional performance division.