Common Processes Used to Hire a Police Chief

I use the word “common” loosely since the process used to hire a police chief varies dramatically from city to city. You might say the process shifts like sand in the sea from opening to opening, but that would probably be a little too much hyperbole.

Anyway, l have participated in several different hiring processes in the last 10-15 years. I have also observed the shift in methods used from a strictly internal approach to a more public process in the last several years.

Small, medium and large police departments can use different processes.

Listed below are the typical processes used to hire a police chief. By no stretch of the imagination does this list cover the breadth of possibilities. A list such as that would take an entire book. Instead, I have tried to include the most common approaches.

Internal Process

By far, this is the most common process. I would even call it the traditional approach. The process works like this.

They advertise the position and collect resumes. The hiring officials sift through the applications and narrow them down to 8-12 applicants to participate in the interview process. The City Manager or Mayor, depending on who the hiring authority is, then sets up an interview panel.

The members of the interview panel usually include the City Manager or Mayor and other department heads. The Human Resources Director is generally involved in the process. In some cases, the board might consist of neighboring police chiefs.

Once the interviews are conducted, the applicants may or may not be narrowed down to 3-5 finalists. Ultimately, the City Manager or Mayor then appoints the police chief from either the interviewees or the finalists.

I went through this very process in 2006 when I applied for the open police chief position with the Marietta Police Department.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the seven finalists interviewed for this position. The panel included the City Manager, other department heads, and an outside police chief. The City Manager made his hiring decision from those interviewed.

No, I didn’t get the job…..

Assessment Center Process

This process can be similar to the internal process with an assessment center added as a screening mechanism.

The assessment center can be some an internal process, or it can be a more formalized system outsourced to another entity.

I went through this process when I applied for the open police chief position with the Johns Creek Police Department in 2007.

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police screened the applications and conducted an assessment center. Nine applicants were invited to participate in a rigorous process that included a written exam, interview questions, and a practical exercise. The GACP provided the results to the City Manager.

The City Manager then appointed an interview panel and interviewed five finalists for the position. The City Manager then hired the new police chief from the finalists.

No, I didn’t get this job either…..

Public Process

There are many variations of the hiring process for a police chief that includes some form of public input into the process. Gathering the opinions and input from members of the community has gained momentum in recent years.

Although becoming more common in cities of all sizes today, public input into the process of hiring a new police chief is more prevalent in big cities.

One example of an open process is happening in San Diego. The Mayor is currently searching for their next police chief. They outlined the public search process.

First, the city held six public forums and conducted an online survey to gather feedback from the community about the characteristics of the next police chief.

They vetted applications through an unidentified screening process. The Mayor chose six finalists. A panel of 24 people, 16 of which were community members with no city affiliation and six from various city boards and commissions, interviewed the six finalists.

A law enforcement expert panel interviewed these same six finalists the following day.

The Mayor selected three finalists based on feedback from the interviews.

After the candidates were narrowed down to three, the Mayor is set to conduct the final interviews and make his selection. The Mayor will base his decision on the feedback from the community, the law enforcement experts, and his interviews.

The public criticized this process because the members of the interview panel, law enforcement experts and candidates have not been publicly identified.

Click here for more info about the San Diego process and here for more info about the community reaction.

Hybrid Process

There are many variations of these processes that include assessment centers, interviews, public forums, panel discussions, surveys and a myriad of other possibilities.

Here are a few recent examples.

The Mayor of Baton Rouge, LA promised to conduct a nationwide search for police chief before taking office.  A national search was not performed because candidates had to pass the Louisiana Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board exam.

Eleven candidates passed the test.  The Mayor formed a committee of 15 community members to conduct interviews with the candidates via a public process streamed live and attended by community members.

The committee also held a public forum where citizens were allowed to speak for a couple of minutes and provide their input. At the end of the public forum, the candidates provided comments.

The committee then publicly voted on the top five candidates and the Mayor conducted interviews and selected Murphy Paul from the Louisiana State Police as the new chief.

The search for a police chief in Fort Collins, CO started with an online survey asking citizens to identify the biggest challenge facing the new chief and what characteristics they need in their next chief. They had over 700 respondents.

Fort Collins narrowed the finalists down to five after receiving over 60 applications.  These finalists will travel to Fort Collins for an interview. All of the candidates will attend a public reception where they will get to meet residents. Fort Collins is seeking feedback from the residents on each candidate. The City Manager will appoint the new chief after conducting his interviews and receiving input from the community.

Officials named four finalists for police chief of Darlington Police Department. Two of the finalists will be interviewed by members of the public and city council on one day and the other two finalists another day. The public is invited to the meeting and will be allowed to ask questions. The City Manager will make the appointment after receiving input through this process.

As I mentioned previously, the different processes used to hire a police chief vary dramatically from opening to opening. No two methods are exactly alike. Still, I believe a lot can be learned from reviewing the various potential processes used and preparing for them.

Regardless of the process used, there will be an interview, and you will be asked questions. In fact, there will likely be several interviews along the way. Preparing for that interview is extremely important.

To help you better prepare for an interview, sign up below to receive my free 12 Step Plan to Ace Your Interview for Police Chief or Promotion plus an Interview Preparation Checklist.