Three out of the four finalists for Grand Rapids’ police chief opening come from the state of Michigan, according to a city announcement released Thursday.
City officials launched a nationwide search through the firm Public Sector Search & Consulting, Inc. It cost the city $28,500, according to a city contract signed with the firm, acquired by The Grand Rapids Herald.
Former Police Chief Eric Winstrom vacated Grand Rapids’ police chief role in February for Pensacola, Fla. Before departing, he acknowledged anti-police sentiment in the community throughout his four-year tenure as a major driving factor behind his decision.
Each candidate will sit for a public meet-and-greet event and a public forum discussion next week Wednesday at city hall starting at 5:45 p.m.
Joe Trigg – Grand Rapids
Trigg’s educational background includes time at the Lansing Community College Police Academy. He completed criminal justice and juvenile justice coursework at Grand Valley State University, and earned an associate degree in general studies from Grand Rapids Community College.
He has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, all of which he served in Grand Rapids.
During his four-month tenure as interim chief, the Grand Rapids Police Department has had one officer-involved shooting, which followed shortly after the shooting of Da’Quain Johnson.
A GRPD officer fatally shot Johnson in February, after Johnson was suspected of carrying a gun while riding a bicycle. A Michigan State Police investigation later found that Johnson had a loaded pistol at the time he was shot.
The shooting of Eddie Deans Jr. occurred after Deans attempted to charge an officer with a knife. During the chase, Deans also attempted to jack a car at knifepoint, break into a home and throw Molotov cocktails at a police cruiser.
Per policy, the GRPD officer is on administrative leave, while MSP investigates.
In a March review of officer-involved shootings, Trigg said his department was not above scrutiny and that he planned to maintain Grand Rapids as a safe community.
“We are not afraid of transparency,” he said in a comment to Wood 8 TV at the time. “I know this agency, I stand behind what we do.”
Mark Bliss – Detroit
Mark Bliss has over 25 years of law enforcement experience and holds a master’s in criminal justice from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in biology from John Carroll University.
He currently serves as deputy chief for the Detroit Police Department. Bliss was previously a finalist for a police chief job in Olympia, Wash., in 2022.
Bliss was named in a 2018 lawsuit in which a Black Detroit police officer alleged a “racially hostile work environment” existed in the department. An appellate court in 2024 upheld a ruling which awarded the officer $150,000 in damages.
Rafael Diaz – Kalamazoo
Rafael Diaz is a licensed Michigan attorney and current police captain for the Kalamazoo Police Department. He has over 27 years of law enforcement experience and formerly served as a captain and judge advocate in the Michigan Army National Guard.
He currently oversees the department’s office of professional standards, which investigates complaints of officer misconduct.
Eve Stephens – Austin, Tex.
Eve Stephens formerly served as chief of police for the University of Texas and is a retired commander from the Austin Police Department. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience.
Stephens, an Asian American, launched a lawsuit against the University of Texas and UT System in November 2025, alleging its decision to fire her was racially motivated. She claimed in the complaint that she was dismissed after receiving high praise from university administrators and was one of two Asian American women fired without receiving any performance complaints.
She said in the lawsuit that her position was later filled by a white male and that she was not given the opportunity to compete for her position prior to being dismissed.