The police chief and assistant police chief in Grafton, N.D., have switched jobs.
The new chief is Steve Kliniske, who takes over for Paul Stave. The switch was effective Monday. Both are longtime Grafton Police Department veterans.
Kliniske, a Grafton native, has been with the department for 31 years. It's been the only law enforcement job in his career.
Paul Stave, a native of Leeds, N.D., has been with the department since 1980, after he graduated from UND. He had served as chief since 2002.
Neither wanted to talk in detail about the reorganization, which was approved Monday by Grafton City Council.
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Basically, Stave said, they swapped jobs and salaries.
"We were looking at some changes, and I thought it would be good for the department," Stave said.
Neither Mayor Todd Burianek nor City Administrator Mylo Einarson was immediately available for comment Thursday.
Kliniske has worked for only 2 police chiefs in his 31-year career -- now-retired Chief LeRoy McCann and Stave.
He said he is not planning any major changes for the department, at least not in the immediate future. The department has nine officers, including the chief and assistant chief. Kliniske said the department is in the process of hiring one more.
Stave said he will keep doing much of the department's administrative paperwork.
"Steve and I have worked together since way back in the beginning," he said. "I think we'll work out well together. We do everything here. We're small enough, yet we're big enough. It's a good community."
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send e-mail to kbonham@gfherald.com .
