Blaine's rapid growth will continue to challenge those charged with keeping the city safe, said the Police Department's new leader.
Lt. Chris Olson, an 18-year veteran trained under former Chief David Johnson, was appointed interim chief and safety services manager Monday. Olson previously led the department's investigations unit. The move came after the previous interim chief, Kerry Fenner, announced this month that he was stepping down for personal reasons and returning to his rank of captain. "It was Kerry's choice," said City Manager Clark Arneson. "It's simply a matter that he has other priorities in his life right now, and being a police chief is one of those jobs where you have to be 110 percent committed."
Olson said he is interested in making the interim post permanent. He will oversee a 61-member force, including four who are scheduled to finish field training in the fall.
"I applied for the position," he said. "There's a knowledge on my part of what's to come."
The city's expansion snarls traffic, Olson said. And officers and investigators have to navigate 36 square miles of changing landscape to answer various calls in a timely manner.
And the city is becoming home to more residents of diverse backgrounds.
"We just have to be prepared and be open to the community," Olson said. "We have to let them know anybody can come to us with needs and concerns."
Arneson predicted that Olson will follow a path laid by Johnson, who stepped down in January. Olson calls Johnson a "good mentor."
