Fargo appoints Assistant Chief Travis Stefanowicz as interim police chief

The Fargo City Commission unanimously appointed Assistant Chief Travis Stefanowicz as interim police chief effective Saturday, March 28, and approved an out‑of‑grade pay adjustment in support of the interim appointment.

Staff recommended Stefanowicz based on his 25 years of service and varied roles within the department; the appointee told the commission that executive staff are designated to assume duties when he is absent and that the department has clear succession protocols. The appointment followed a brief recognition of department support in the gallery.

Separately, staff provided an update to the police chief search timeline: the job will be posted May 11 and close June 19 so the future commission formed after the election can participate; open houses, department surveys and further recruitment steps are planned with an appointment possibly as early as late August if timelines allow. No action was required on the search update at the meeting.

The commission asked staff to keep the process transparent and engage the public during candidate review stages.