GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – After news broke that he was a finalist for a position in Florida, the Grand Rapids police chief explained why he decided to apply.
Chief David Rahinsky said that the decision to apply for the vacant Punta Gorda police chief boiled down to wanting to be closer to his family, which includes his only granddaughter.
“In terms of why South Florida, for me, it’s just about family,” he said.
Rahinsky, who is one of two West Michigan police chiefs who qualified as a finalist for the job, said that family was the sole driver in his decision to apply.
“If I were to pick a spot that was close to everyone, kids, grandkids, in-laws, parent, that [Punta Gorda] would be it,” he said.
Rahinsky said that he spent nearly 20 of his 30 years in law enforcement in South Florida.
He was surprised to learn that Chief Jeff Hadley of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is also in the running for the job.
Rahinsky said he hasn’t had his interview for the Punta Gorda job, but his focus is still on serving his Grand Rapids community as best as he can.
He said that it is business as usual and that people should not worry about his loyalty to protect and serve.
The GRPD chief said this is the first job he’s ever applied to while at this department.
“I’m not chief shopping. I don’t have applications in anywhere else. I’m not pursuing anything else. I hadn’t anticipated pursuing this,” Rahinsky said.
There’s no timeline on when the position will be filled in Florida, but Rahinsky expects them “to move pretty fast.”