The Beloit Police and Fire Commission reversed itself Tuesday night and picked Beloit’s interim chief David Zibolski to be the city’s next chief of police.
The commission had approved Rockford interim chief Patrick Hoey in a narrow vote last week, but the Beloit City Council refused to extend a contract offer to Hoey, saying they preferred Zibolski.
Zibolski was named the interim chief in June after Chief Norm Jacobs and Deputy Chief Tom Dunkin were placed on administrative leave. That came after a consultant's report found management and leadership problems in the department, along with allegations of possible misconduct.
The two retired last fall under an agreement with the city.
The Beloit City Council will hold a special meeting at 6:30 tonight to discuss the new appointment.
The Rockford Register Star reported that three of the five members of the Beloit Police and Fire Commission have resigned, which means the commission cannot ratify Zibolski's appointment until at least one more member is appointed.
The newspaper also reported that Hoey will "explore his options" related to the apparent reversal of his selection for the post.
