City Times Staff

Interim Police Chief Marty Skibba will formally be sworn in as the city’s new police chief on Dec. 2.

The ceremony will be held at 4 PM in Conference rooms A & B of the police department, 1515 Strongs Ave.

Skibba was chosen from four finalists for the city’s top law enforcement office, a vacancy created when former Chief Kevin Ruder retired in April. Skibba has been acting chief since summer, and several other officers were also temporarily reassigned to new positions during the interim.

A new assistant chief could also be sworn in on Wednesday. Currently, the department has two assistant chief positions, one of which has been held by Assistant Chief Tom Zenner since 2012. The second position has been temporarily filled by Detective Sgt. Tony Babl.

Candidates for the second assistant chief position will be interviewed at Tuesday’s Police and Fire Commission, with a decision expected at that meeting’s conclusion.

Mayor Mike Wiza called Skibba a “great choice” for police chief, also saying it would create a smooth transition for the city as Skibba has already been with the police department since 1991.

Skibba said he was “humbly honored” to have been formally offered the position, calling himself a “steward of this community”.