Sequim Gazette staff

Former Sequim Police Chief Robert Spinks learned Monday night he is the runner-up for the police chief position in Columbus, Miss., in the northeast part of the state. City councilors appointed longtime policeman Lt. Selvain McQueen as chief in a 4-2 vote.

Spinks said he wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“It’s always a hard climb to jump over an in-house candidate, but coming out No. 2 from a pack of over 80 applicants from across the country isn’t really a loss either,” Spinks said.

“I enjoyed my dealings with the city, had a great trip back to Mississippi and if you read the evaluations of my interview process, I received very good reviews by the local newspaper.”

He was a finalist with Curtis Brame of North Chicago, Ill. They participated in public interviews with city councilors on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Leaving Sequim isn’t Spinks’ first choice, he said. His wife works in juvenile justice, while he’s involved in teaching university criminal justice classes part-time, sits on the board of directors for the Sequim Senior Activity Center and OlyCAP, is on the management team with KSQM 91.5 FM and is a columnist for the Sequim Gazette.

In May 2010, Spinks resigned as police chief after City Manager Steve Burkett asked him to do so because of Burkett’s differing approach to managing the city. Spinks served five years in Sequim and continues to look for other job opportunities.