(Cleveland)- The Cleveland City Council has named three finalists for the position of police chief.
The announcement was made Monday night and Mayor Josh Turner said they received 21 applications. “We had many very qualified candidates and we are grateful for the interest from all the men and women who seek to lead our police department,” said Turner.
The three chosen as finalists are:
Courtney S. Gale – Lieutenant, University of Georgia Police Department,
Jeffery S. Shoemaker – Captain, Hall County Sheriff’s Office,
Aaron A. Weiland – Major, City of Cleveland Police Department,
Gale lives in Bishop, Ga., and has 22 years of law enforcement experience.
Shoemaker, a 30-year veteran of public safety, lives in White County, but has a Clermont address and currently is the commander of the Hall County Jail Division
Weiland, who lives in Cleveland has been with the Cleveland Police Department for 22 years and was named Interim Chief January 5th, until a full-time chief is selected.
Turner said the City Council will continue moving forward through the selection process and hopes to finalize the process and name a new police chief by the end of the month. The new chief will succeed former Cleveland Police Chief John Foster who retired on Dec. 28, 2020, after 17 years on the job.
