Shelby Township Names New Police Chief

Acting Police Chief Roland Woelkers is now Shelby Township’s top cop.

The Shelby Township Board of Trustees accepted a counter-offer made by Woeklers at Tuesday’s meeting and approved the new contract.

The counter offer states that after January 2013 the chief’s salary will rise to $104,500.

Effective immediately, Woelkers was named chief and will be paid $92,500 for a six-month probationary period. The pay will then jump to $95,000 and again to $104,500 in 2013.

Human Resources Director Lisa Suida said Woelkers, who has been with the department for 23 years, has taken a pay cut by accepting chief’s position. 

Last year, Woelkers made a combined $116,000 between overtime, bonuses and holiday pay.

Woelkers' pension, which is overseen by Act 345, mandates that his pension  rate will be comprised of the highest total pay for five years out of the last 10 years he worked.

The board had at the March 6 meeting after conducting interviews and reviewing test scores for Woelkers, and Captain Steven Stanbury.

At the previous meeting, Supervisor Rick Stathakis said even though Stanbury had tested slightly higher on a written assessment test, administered by the Police and Fire Civil Service Commission, Woelkers impressed the board during in-person interviews with his leadership and communication skills.

Stathakis told Patch that Woelkers' counter-offer appeared to be fair and more in-line with Shelby Fire Chief Gene Shepherd's.

Woelkers was unavailable for comment and will be out of the office until March 26.

He was appointed acting chief in September 2011 after the board agreed not to renew former