The City of Chadron may still be looking for a permanent city manager, but it now has a permanent police chief.
Lt Rick Hickstein, interim chief since the departure of Tim Lordino in February to become an investigator in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, has been offered and accepted the post of permanent chief.
The hiring of department heads, including police chief, is done by the city manager and not the city council – leading to some vacancies often staying open until a new city manager is hired in situations like this.
Interim City Manager Milo Rust says the city’s Civil Service Commission picked Hickstein out of a pool of 11 applicants, saying he should be hired now rather than waiting for the permanent city manager. Rust says the city council agreed informally.
Hickstein has been with the Chadron police almost 22 years and Rust, who retired last summer after more than 3 decades as Chadron Public Works Director, says he’s been impressed with what he’s seen from him.
Hickstein joined the Chadron Police Department in Sept 1999 after graduating from Chadron State College. He says becoming a chief has been a dream of his ever since he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Hickstein has been the longest-serving current member of the Chadron department for several years and was second-in-command for all but the first few weeks of Lordino’s 13 years as chief. That’s a major reason he’s not planning any big changes.
Hickstein met his wife Misty, office manager at Wahlstrom Ford, while both were at Chadron State. Their daughter Alpine was a state golf champion for Chadron High and is now a student-athlete at her parent’s alma mater.
