The Board of Trustees of the Village of Cayuga Heights voted in January to appoint James Steinmetz the new chief of the village’s police department. Steinmetz, who has worked for the department for almost 18 years, replaces former police chief Thomas Boyce.

Cornell Police Chief Kathy Zoner attended the Experience Israel Training Tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, in October, becoming the first police chief of a university to do so. During her stay, Zoner and 10 other conference attendees were given an inside look at the security operations of Israel’s counterterrorism initiatives. 

Edward Vallely was officially named the new police chief of the Ithaca Police Department last night after the Common Council’s unanimous vote confirmed the mayor’s appointment. Vallely, who is the current acting police chief, will oversee a $10 million budget and more than 100 employees, according to the Ithaca Journal.

The selection process began last October after Police Chief Lauren Signer unexpectedly announced her retirement. A search committee — which included Common Council members and representatives from the Community Police Board — then submitted a list of finalists to Mayor Carolyn Peterson. The two finalists for the job, Vallely and Deputy Police Chief John Barber, were internal candidates.