Renner: City might promote from within BPD to replace Chief Heffner

Posted on May 3, 2018

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s mayor is hinting the city might not have to search nationally to find Police Chief Brendan Heffner’s replacement.

Heffner is leaving the chief’s job he’s held since 2013 to become U.S. Marshal for the Central District of Illinois.

Mayor Tari Renner said there isn’t a public clamoring this time around for a national search as there was when the city hired Heffner.

“I think almost five years ago, there was some desire, a pretty strong desire in some cases, to perhaps move in a different direction,” the mayor said.

“We have really some outstanding assistant chiefs right now who I think could do a great job without skipping a beat, so I think that’s certainly very, very possible.”

Renner said it’s also possible city leaders might hold off on hiring a new chief until aldermen pick a permanent city manager. The mayor wouldn’t comment on the status of a national search underway for the city manager’s position. Steve Rasmussen is the interim city manager and has applied for the permanent job.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected].

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