An assistant chief with Louisville Metro Police is the top candidate for the chief's job in Glendale, Ariz.
Lt. Col. Steve Conrad traveled to Arizona earlier this month for a series of interviews as one of five semifinalists, and "rose to the top because of his experience," said Julie Frisoni, a spokeswoman for Glendale, northwest of Phoenix.
Members of a California search firm will be in Louisville this week to conduct a background check on Conrad, Frisoni said, adding that Glendale hopes to offer him the job within the next few weeks.
Glendale, with a population of about 240,000, has a department of 500 sworn and civilian members. The city's former chief resigned in April amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a female officer, The Arizona Republic newspaper reported.
Conrad, 49, said yesterday that he is excited about the possibility of becoming chief in Glendale, but stressed that he doesn't have the job yet and would be content to stay in Louisville.
"There is still plenty of work here for me if this doesn't work out," he said.
Conrad, who joined the old Louisville police department almost 26 years ago, has been an assistant chief since the merger of the city and Jefferson County departments in 2003. He has been largely responsible for overseeing the merger of police records and played a major role in restructuring police division boundaries.
Metro Police Chief Robert White said he would hate to lose Conrad but is excited that he has this opportunity.
"It speaks to Steve's ability," White said of Conrad's finalist status. "This reflects well on what we're doing as an agency. Steve will be an excellent police chief."
Frisoni said Conrad's years of experience, including working on planning for the Kentucky Derby and assisting with merger, would be invaluable to Glendale.
The city will be host for several major sporting events in coming years, including college football's 2007 championship bowl game and the National Football League's 2008 Super Bowl.
Conrad underwent several "rigorous" interviews, including with a citizen panel, Frisoni said, adding that the city hopes to have a new chief on the job by December.
Conrad said the decision to apply for the job was not easy given his many years in Louisville.
"I really am proud of the work that I've done," Conrad said, saying he's especially proud of the way the department handled merger.
"It's been really incredible to be part of that."