By Laura Clark

The search for a permanent UK Police Chief still has no set timeline, said a UK representative.

Since a Sept. 24 Kernel article, no updates have been reported on the search, said UK spokesman Jimmy Stanton.

Similarly, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said Anthany Beatty, assistant vice president for public safety, said no updates on the search were available at this time.

In a Sept. 23 interview with UK President Lee Todd, Todd said no search to replace current UK Interim Police Chief Maj. Joe Monroe had begun.  Todd said he assumed Monroe would be a candidate for the position.

“I think Joe’s done a very good job the time he has been in this position … Joe was a candidate previously and I assume he will be a candidate this time, as well,” Todd said.  “But we do need to get that locked down because Joe’s been interim for three years.”

In the article, Beatty, who was hired at UK a year and a half ago, said Monroe’s leadership abilities have nothing to do with the still-vacant position.

In February 2006, McDonald Vick was named the police chief, but resigned a few months later after it was discovered that he paid a former female officer $25,000 to drop a sexual harassment lawsuit in North Carolina, according to a March 10, 2009 Kernel article.

Shortly after Vick’s resignation, Monroe was named interim police chief. He has remained in that position ever since.

Todd said he would be talking to Beatty and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Frank Butler sometime after the Sept. 23 interview to establish plans for a permanent police chief.

“We’re getting close to where we need to make some decisions on how to fill that position full time,” Todd said.