Mark Cawthon named Amherst police chief after Dan Makruski withdraws protest

AMHERST — Mark Cawthon was named the next Amherst police chief Wednesday night by the city's Civil Service Commission. A swearing-in ceremony is being planned for next week, when he will officially begin the job. "He will make a good police chief," said Lt. Dan Makruski, the runner-up for the position. He threw his support behind Cawthon and pledged to work together to take the department in a new direction. "I trust he'll take the time to develop and prepare his lieutenants and sergeants for positions of great responsibility," Makruski said. "I trust he'll prioritize people over things and show his concern for what is going on outside the station as much as what is going on inside the station." Of the pair, Cawthon had the higher score when assessed by members of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police this fall. Just before Thanksgiving, Makruski lodged a formal protest, saying the scores were suspiciously low. He withdrew that protest Wednesday, but reiterated his complaints in remarks to the commission. Makruski said he was not convinced the scores were accurate, and he voiced frustration that grading reports were not released at his request. Cawthon will step into the position vacated by former Chief Joseph Kucirek, who retired in early October during an investigation into low morale in the department. As a result of the investigation, Amherst Safety Service Director John Jeffreys filed a 19-page report detailing allegations of insubordination, code of conduct problems, friction with other employees and potential labor law violations. Makruski said that during interviews with the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, assessors made it clear they were aware of the situation that led to Kucirek's departure. That included media reports detailing employee complaints about the former chief's "military-like" leadership style, he said. Those complaints were pulled from public records created during the investigation. Makruski, who serves in the Army National Guard, said they may have swayed the decision made by former chiefs from across the state. However, he said he is not bitter and holds no ill will toward Cawthon for getting the promotion — he believes the new chief will raise both job satisfaction and morale at the Amherst Police Department. After Makruski's remarks, the Civil Service Commission briefly adjourned to a private session with two city lawyers, then returned to vote with no conversation. Afterward, commission member Gina Grasso provided a written statement on behalf of the body. "Comprehensive assessments were conducted in partnership with an assessment center to select for promotion the best possible candidates within our Police Department," it said. "We stand behind these decisions." Cawthon spoke briefly, saying the weeks since Makruski's protest have been challenging, but thanking him for him words of support. "We've grown up through the department together, have a lot of good memories together and I look forward to working side by side with him," Cawthon said. Also on Wednesday, Sgt. Mike Rosebeck was promoted to lieutenant. It is unclear whether he will step into Cawthon's role in charge of the road patrol or take on more administrative tasks. Rosebeck has served the Amherst Police Department for 21 years. He was promoted to sergeant in 2013, served on the Lorain County SWAT team for a short time and has also been a field training officer. "It's great that now we're going to be able to focus on the road forward," he said after the vote naming Cawthon chief. Division over the investigation into Kucirek has been hard, Rosebeck said, but feels like the wounds have started to heal. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.