The Rapid City Council failed to confirm Lieutenant Elias Diaz as Police Chief. Diaz was appointed by Mayor Sam Kooiker on June 9th. The appointment brought controversy from some who claimed he isn’t qualified for the job. Council member Bonny Petersen was one of those who voted against the confirmation.
"Lt. Diaz is a good man. He is an impressive officer and when I first read about him I was excited because of his compelling life story. I salute his service to our city and our police department. However I do not think that is enough. He needs more hands on leadership experience before he takes on this huge task,” says Petersen.
The council voted 8-2 to oppose the appointment. Those who supported Diaz say he is dually qualified for the job. Diaz says he’s disappointed by the decision but he respects the process and plans to stay on the force.
Mayor Kooiker released an email statement on Tuesday. Kooiker says, “Rapid City missed out on a great opportunity. Lt. Elias Diaz would have brought tremendous enthusiasm and diverse qualifications to the Rapid City Police Department as Chief. Although I appreciate the Council taking this decision seriously, I’m disappointed over the Council’s rejection of such a fine and qualified candidate. Lt. Diaz was one of three finalists who would have made a great Chief of Police. I will be making a decision soon as to the next step.”