Top 3 candidates for the Pueblo Chief of Police position announced
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Pueblo just announced the top three candidates for the Chief of Police position.
According to the city, the finalists are:
- David Moore, Former Chief of Police, City of Fountain, Colorado
- Steven Noeller, Acting Chief of Police, City of Pueblo, Colorado
- Frank Rodriguez, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Insurance – Criminal Investigations, Raleigh, North Carolina
Noeller was appointed Acting Chief of Police in April by Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar following the retirement of Police Chief Davenport.
Days after he was appointed, 13 Investigates uncovered allegations made against Noeller, accusing him of racial discrimination and intimidation. Between 2018 and 2020, documents show that ten complaints were filed against then-Deputy Chief Noeller.
A summary of an investigation through a Denver-based law firm noted "numerous examples of Deputy Chief Noeller being difficult to work with, having a temper that is not productive in the workplace, and treating various individuals differently than others, and in many cases treating them poorly."
The investigation additionally said, "Deputy Chief Noeller's supervision and leadership style is, at a minimum, divisive."
However, Gradisar stood by his decision to appoint Noeler as Acting Chief of Police.
The committee who narrowed down the finalists consisted of Ron Wiley, NAACP representative, John B. Cordova, Sr., LULAC 3043 representative, Major Scott Copley, Retired Colorado State Patrol, Alan Hamel, Community representative, Jimmie Quintana, IBPO representative, with Laura Solano, Chief of Staff, City of Pueblo, and Marisa Pacheco, Director of Human Resources, City of Pueblo.
