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By Jim Parsons
Daily Cougar Staff

The UH Police Department's four lieutenants will manage the police force's day-to-day operations until a new chief is hired, Vice President for Administration John Martin said last week.

Martin, who is overseeing the department in the wake of the dismissals of Chief George Hess and Assistant Chief Frank Cempa, said things are running smoothly in the UHPD and its priority has not moved away from keeping the campus safe.

"That will not change one iota," Martin said.

Hess and Cempa were removed from their posts earlier this month because top UH administrators said they made unacceptable comments during a Staff Council meeting in June. The two spoke out against a proposed policy change that would allow UH staff members to be dismissed without cause or chance for appeal.

Since then, Martin said the department has made plans for new training and equipment. Multimedia training technology will focus on what Martin called "community policing," training UHPD officers for the myriad situations they would encounter on campus.

Among other plans in the department are a new rape-prevention course for female students and a proposed bicycle patrol. Martin said he was looking into the feasibility of such a patrol and how it could be funded, but explained it is something he feels would be valuable on campus.

In the meantime, Martin is laying the groundwork for a national search for police chief candidates. In the next few weeks, he said the official job description would be published and advertisements would be placed in national publications.

When candidates apply, they will be screened and will be introduced to the campus in one or more public forums, Martin said.

Although no timetable has been set for the search, Martin said it will probably take about six months.

"I'm looking forward to a large, diverse group of highly qualified people," he said.