FARGO – David Todd is no longer interim Fargo police chief.
The City Commission made Todd top cop in a unanimous vote Monday, 11 months after he took the job on a provisional basis when his boss resigned amid officer complaints of low morale.
Todd said under his watch the department has "already changed quite a bit" and he stressed the importance of "inclusiveness."
Now that he is officially chief, Todd said he can move forward with developing a long-range plan for the department.
Todd, who joined Fargo police in 1987 as a patrol officer, beat out two other finalists - Lt. Joel Vettel of Fargo police and Capt. George Austin of Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) police - for the top position.
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Commissioner Dave Piepkorn applauded all three finalists and said the two who were not selected "will be police chiefs in the near future."
He said he hoped Vettel would stay with Fargo police despite losing the job to Todd. "I think it will be difficult for Joel Vettel," Piepkorn said. "He's a police chief in waiting now ... I think it's tough, when you're in the same department, to stay."
