Grand Forks City Administrator the Police Department is Ready for a New Chief

(KNOX) -The Grand Forks Police Department will get a new chief after Chief Mark Nelson retires Friday.

Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland said the police department is in a good position as Chief Nelson retires.

“Importantly, Chief Nelson is retiring, but even as important as that is that we prepared ourselves for his retirement. We have a strong police department,” Feland said.

Feland said that the citizens of the city should be impressed with their police department.

“If you look around the country we should be very proud of the stable, dynamic, neighborhood police department we have,” Feland said.

Feland said that the police department is in a position to welcome a new chief.

“We really feel like we are at a good spot. Weather it’s an internal candidate who gets the new police position or if it’s an external, we’re in a great spot for a new police chief,” Feland said.

Chief Mark Nelson is retiring this week after being in the position for almost ten years. He’s been with the Grand Forks Police Department for 36 years.

Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski has named Lt. Dwight Love interim Chief of Police.