By Caleb Hutton
Bellingham’s new police chief, Clifford Cook, will be formally introduced to the public at a City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11.
Here’s a story we ran about Cook when he was picked as a finalist for the job.
Bellingham Police Chief Clifford Cook
Excerpts from the City’s press release:
The meeting [at City Hall on Lottie Street] is open to the public, televised live on BTV10 and live streamed on the City website.
Cook, 57, has 36 years of professional law enforcement experience, including extensive experience as a senior administrator in large and mid-sized police departments. He most recently served as Chief of Police for the City of Vancouver (Wash.) Police Department, a position he held for five years after serving as a deputy police chief and other leadership and staff positions with the City of Fort Worth, Texas.
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Cook was selected after a competitive nation-wide search and interview process that included area law enforcement leaders, City department heads, police department employees and others. [Mayor Kelli] Linville completed formal hiring steps in January, including completing a thorough background check and additional state requirements, and welcomed Cook to City employment on Monday, Feb. 4.
This is a bad hire, and if you dig past the first one or two Google results for “Clifford Cook Police Chief” you’ll see why.