Deputy chief is hired

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, October 7, 2006

Veteran officer Mark Duncan will handle daily operations.

Police Chief Matt Haney has a new right-hand man.

Mark Duncan, formerly second in command at the Port Orchard Police Department, will assume a similar role with Bainbridge Police.

Duncan will be the department’s first-ever Deputy Chief and will be in charge of day-to-day operations.

The move will alleviate some of the burden on Haney and allow him to focus more on administrative and executive duties.

“I’m really looking forward to coming to Bainbridge Island,” said Duncan, a 28-year veteran. “People there seem to be passionate about their community and I like that and want to be a part of it.”

Duncan spent 23 years with the Port Orchard department, where he served in a variety of roles, including most recently as Police Commander.

He also spent time with the Mount Vernon Police Department and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department.

His first day will be October 16.

Duncan said he’s excited about the challenges ahead, among them improving com­munication within the department and with the community, and increasing staff retention.

Haney believes the arrival of Duncan will help increase efficiency at the department.

“Our world is continually changing,” he said, pointing to the evolution of case law as an example. “Whoever is in charge must stay on top of that.”

He likened the tandem’s cooperation to that of a principal and a vice principal, or to the structure of the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, whose fire chief and operations chief split up leadership duties.

Haney said the department received applications from all over the world, but eventually narrowed the pool of candidates down to four, who were then interviewed by a panel.

Two were eliminated following that, with Duncan eventually being chosen based on his experience and versatility.

Haney said the fact that Duncan isn’t too far removed from patrol duty was a major boon to his candidacy.

“This department needs someone who understands what it means to be a patrol officer, from dealing with a lack of sleep to communicating with citizens,” he said. “Mark has that. He’s not only a good leader, he’s a quality person.”