City of Topeka Police Chief Finalists Announced

The City of Topeka has announced the four finalists for the Topeka police chief position.

W. Simon Happer currently serves as the deputy police chief for the Overland Park Police Department in Overland Park, Kansas. Lieutenant Colonel Happer has 34 years of law enforcement experience and 19 years of senior police leadership including serving as the interim police chief for the Overland Park Police Department. Happer received his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Happer has worked with his command staff to develop new strategies to address staffing issues including several proposals which focus on retention of current employees, recruitment of candidates from colleges, the military and high schools, as well as our commitment to the 30 by 30 campaign. Happer
says he hopes to reduce crime rates, increase traffic safety and improve morale, while building trust with a diverse population hungry for transparency and collaboration.

Russ Klumpp currently serves as a Major for the Topeka Police Department. Klumpp has 19 years of leadership and executive experience. He works in the Criminal Investigations and Field Operation units. Klumpp was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly as a member of the Kansas 988 committee to help reduce suicide rates. He received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Walden University. Klumpp says he plans to emphasize strong community relationships, a commitment to meaningful and open communication, police department accountability, improved care and procedural integrity for employees, advancements in the provision of police services, and increasing officer morale.

Jose Salcido has more than 27 years of law enforcement experience, most recently serving as the Director of Campus Security at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. Salcido holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the United States Air Force Air Academy and has a human resources certification. Salcido served in the United States Air Force for 25 years before retiring as a Major. During his time with
the Wichita Police Department (WPD), he led a department of investigators overseeing all criminal investigations and helped to develop various crime prevention strategies in partnership with the community.

Chris Vallejo has 30 years of experience in law enforcement, having served in various roles during his
tenure with the Austin Texas Police Department (APD). Vallejo holds a Master of Criminal Justice from
Texas State University. During his time as Commander in Training at the APD, Vallejo helped to develop
inclusive and diverse training programs and implemented recruitment strategies that resulted in the
most diverse cadet class in APD history. He also pioneered the creation of a Chief Data Officer position that aimed to integrate community-based initiatives to foster to trust and collaboration between the APD, elected officials and the community. Vallejo currently serves as a National Policing Institute Executive Fellow, regularly collaborating with Police Chiefs nationwide and advising on strategies to
address evolving challenges in U.S. law enforcement.

To give residents an opportunity to meet the finalists, the city will host a public meet and greet on Wednesday, November 6, at Hotel Topeka, located at 1717 SW Topeka Blvd. The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will provide community members the chance to interact with the candidates and ask questions.

Following the public event, there will be a special meeting of the Governing Body at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, to discuss the police chief candidates, with the goal of selecting the next leader of the Topeka Police Department. They will meet in executive session