NKU is searching for a new police chief amidst controversy over a police shooting at nearby University of Cincinnati.

Police involved shootings have been a sensitive subject across the country in recent months and matters are taking on new perspective with one of the most recent coming from just across the river involving a UC police officer allegedly shooting an unarmed man.

NKU began open panels for the final police chief candidates on Tuesday, meeting for 50 minutes for the community to get to know each candidate individually. The second candidate’s session took place just an hour before the press conference Wednesday announcing the indictment of Officer Ray Tensing for murder and voluntary manslaughter of Sam Dubose just off of UC’s campus. The third candidate presented around the time that Tensing pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Candidates have talked on interracial relations on college campuses but strayed away from specifics.

Amanda Nageleisen, university spokeswoman, says that the university is looking for a candidate that will continue to build on the success of the university police department.

Nageleisen says that the NKU Police Department do have relationships with surrounding agencies.

“The NKU Police Department maintains a close working relationship with surrounding agencies and may respond to off-campus locations when requested by those agencies,” Nageleisen said. “The same agencies will also respond to campus at the request of University Police.”

According to Nageleisen, the university police currently employ 18 sworn officers, six telecommunications specialists, one full-time staff member and one K-9 unit and all officers have to go through standardized training.

“University police officers are trained in the same way that our local community police officers are trained,” Nageleisen said. “New recruits attend the same basic training academy as other Kentucky police officers and must complete a 22-week, 1,880-hour training through the Department of Criminal Justice Police Academy in Richmond, Ky.”

Nageleisen said that officers are also required to complete an additional 40 hours of training yearly with the Department of Criminal Justice and additional training through our department.

“Our officers complete a 14-week in-house field training program, which includes first aid, firearms, defensive tactics, law, evidence collection and traffic accident investigation, among other topics,” Nageleisen said. “The University Detective receives additional training under the Clery Act and Title IX regulations.”

The Northern Kentucky University Police Department is accredited through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police.