BLAINE, Minn. – (Oct. 23, 2017) – The city of Blaine has hired Brian Podany as the new safety services manager/police chief. He replaces former Chief Chris Olson, who retired in June.
Podany has more than 20 years of public safety experience. He’s coming to Blaine from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office where he served as the commander of the patrol division. He has been with the County since 1995 and held the positions of special deputy, deputy, major crimes detective, lieutenant, and captain. Podany holds a master’s degree in public safety administration and a bachelor’s degree in police science from St. Mary’s University.
Podany is looking forward to the new challenge. He’ll start the job on Nov. 27, 2017.
“As a longtime member of Anoka County’s public safety community, I’m well aware of the excellent reputation of city officers and staff,” Podany said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work closely with the City of Blaine staff, city council members, residents, business people, and other community members to continue making safety a priority. Together we will enhance the future of our great city.”
“If you look at Brian’s background he is effectively the police chief of eight communities and townships. Anoka County provides contract policing to; Andover, Ham Lake, Oak Grove etcetera. That population is 83,000 that Brian is effectively the police chief of. If you look at the population of Blaine, lets say we are 65,000 right now, we are going to grow to that mid-80’s population according to the Met Council,” said Blaine City Manager Clark Arneson.
The Blaine City Council utilized Strategic Government Resources to conduct and manage the nationwide search. The city received 46 applications from individuals in 13 states and five finalists were selected. Candidate vetting included a comprehensive questionnaire, online interviews, a psychometric assessment, a thorough media search, and a rigorous background investigation.
The process was successful, according to Arneson.
“We’re very pleased Brian accepted the position,” Arneson said. “He’s a great addition to the city.”
