For a town of 4,000, Cold Spring has seen its share of high-profile crime -- including the 2003 school shooting at Rocori HIgh School and the 2012 slaying of police officer Thomas Decker.
Now, finding a new chief for the Cold Spring-Richmond police department is proving troublesome. Phil Jones, who ran the department during both the school shooting and Decker's killing, quit last July after a dispute over pay issues. He moved to Colorado.
Interim Chief Chris Boucher, who worked with Decker, has been in charge since then. But the candidate tapped for the job, Eric Johnson, came into question after City Council members learned his CPR and first-responder certifications had lapsed, the St. Cloud Times reported.
The City Council has scheduled a special meeting to discuss the search, which could restart. One proposal would insist Boucher remain interim chief for no more than one additional year.
