Overview
- Fargo’s City Commission voted 5-0 Monday to appoint Interim Chief Travis Stefonowicz as the city’s 39th police chief, with a swearing-in planned for May 27 according to KVRR.
- He became the lone finalist after two out-of-state candidates withdrew from consideration during the search.
- Commissioner Dave Piepkorn questioned the fast timeline and public input, and City Manager Michael Redlinger said a majority of commissioners asked to speed the process.
- Stefonowicz says he will hold community forums in the coming months to set priorities, with an emphasis on supporting officer wellness and building trust with residents.
- The move comes as the department addresses an AI-linked wrongful arrest case; officials said they added new guardrails last month and the mayor said Monday he expects updates within weeks.