SAULT STE. MARIE -- There soon will be a new man in charge of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department. According to Interim Director Melvin Sparks, John Riley has been chosen as the city's next police chief.
Riley is currently the Director of Public Safety in Center Line, that's in Macomb County. He is scheduled to start on February 28, but may begin work sooner. Riley will fill the shoes of former chief Lou Murray who retired last year.
Riley said he is very much looking forward to getting started. He said everyone he talked to is fantastic and welcoming and he is excited to be a part of the community. He said his decision to take the job is not just a career move. He said he's always loved up north and has always dreamed of being a police chief in Northern Michigan and used to vacation in Sault Ste. Marie. When he saw the job posting he says he applied immediately.
The office was also recently in the news as former acting chief Judd Price was arrested and later pled guilty for drinking and driving.
