City officials have tapped Capt. Jordan Venezio to take the reins of the Kalispell Police Department.

Venezio, who began his career in law enforcement with the department in 2009, is expected to begin serving as chief of police on July 1.

“I feel a lot of purpose in the law enforcement, day-to-day interaction with the community and the positive impact you can make — that was mostly what led me to apply [for the post],” Venezio said Wednesday. “It’s something that gives me great purpose; I really enjoy helping people.”

Venezio is succeeding former Chief of Police Doug Overman, who retired earlier this year. City officials said they conducted a nationwide search to fill the position and reviewed more than 20 applicants before selecting Venezio.

City Manager Doug Russell, who did not immediately return a request for comment, oversaw the hiring decision.

“Jordan’s commitment to the community, the city of Kalispell and the employees within the Kalispell Police Department will be invaluable to the organization as he begins his tenure as the chief of police,” Russell said in a statement.

Venezio listed strengthening ties between the department and the community, to include nonprofit organizations, as his primary goal upon stepping into the position. Kalispell’s well-documented growth in recent years has come with challenges, he said. Those include substance abuse, housing shortages and quality of life issues.

“For me, it’s the desire to really engage with the public through all these challenges we’re facing,” Venezio said.

He said he looked forward to working with the community on creating a path ahead for the Police Department. Plans for an open house to allow residents to meet with Venezio are in the works.

Taking a broader view, Venezio hopes to avail the agency of improvements in technology during his tenure.

“I’d like to see us modernize in certain ways, embrace more technology and see more of a focus on a data-driven approach, really embracing the information we have available to us,” he said.

Venezio has strong ties to the Flathead Valley, graduating from Columbia Falls High School. He later attended Montana State University Billings, graduating with a bachelor’s degree.

He said he came into the law enforcement field almost by accident, having planned a career in real estate. When the economy dimmed those prospects, he tried his hand at law enforcement. He never looked back.

“It was probably the first time I really felt purpose in my life,” Venezio recalled. “From that day forward, just being able to go to work every day and truly serve the community and help a community really led me down this path.”

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].