Robert White's departure within a few weeks for the top police job in Denver has prompted several candidates interested in the chief's job at the Louisville Metro Police Department to polish their resumes.
It didn't take long after White's departure was announced the last week of October for the speculation to start about who would seek the Louisville job. Officers have been discussing it among themselves and on message boards that deal with police issues.
At least two people, Buddy Dumeyer, a former LMPD officer, and Maj. Donald Burbrink, who heads the 6th Division, confirmed that they will be submitting applications. Others inside and outside the department have said they are considering applying, while several people have said they are not interested.
Candidates have until Dec. 10 to complete their applications, which were distributed this week. All commanding officers with the rank of lieutenant or higher were sent a letter from Mayor Greg Fischer that outlines the process and desired qualifications of the next chief. Fischer also has met with members of the command staff to let them know how the process would be moving forward.
The requirements for chief were also being posted on the websites of metro government and the Southern Police Institute, which is overseeing the search process for Louisville Metro.
Applicants must complete a position paper, not to exceed 15 pages, that answers questions in 12 areas. Among the areas candidates are being asked to explain are: their leadership style, strategic goals for the department, how they would select executive staff, how much budget experience they've had, and their views on working with the community.
Deborah Keeling, chair of the University of Louisville's Department of Criminal Justice, who is overseeing the hiring through the Southern Police Institute, said the list of questions to be answered are similar to those that were used in the search that resulted in White's hiring nearly a decade ago. Fischer did add some questions about whether the COMPSTAT system, which is used to monitor and evaluate crime trends, is being used effectively, Keeling said.
Requiring the detailed papers is one way to get only serious candidates for the job because it is such a daunting undertaking, Keeling said.
"You want people who are willing to put in the time to thinking about these issues," she said. All the papers will be reviewed by at least three staff members of the Southern Police Institute and evaluated with a common scoring matrix.
Those papers will be a part of the screening process that leads to selection of the top 10 most viable candidates, who will then be evaluated by a committee of two chiefs from comparable departments, a chief executive officer from the Louisville Police Foundation board and members of the serach committee through the Southern Police Institute.
From that group of 10, five will be selected as finalists to be interviewed by the mayor and his advisers. Only those names will be made public.
While the search is open to candidates across the country, Fischer has said that he would give preference to someone who has ties to Louisville. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree and at least three years of command experience.
The Courier-Journal contacted more than a dozen people whose names have surfaced as potential candidates for the job.
Dumeyer joined the former county department in 1979, rising to the rank of captain. When the former city and county departments merged in 2003, Dumeyer became the first commander of the public integrity unit, which investigates allegations of officer misconduct. He currently works in the Jefferson County Coroner's office, overseeing the indigent burial program.
Burbrink joined the former city department in 1977. He has worked in several areas of the merged metro department, including overseeing the criminal investigations unit and training academy. He currently serves as the major of the 6th Division, which includes Newburg
Among those considering applying is Deputy Chief Yvette Gentry, who said she is "exploring the option," but did not want to comment beyond that. The other deputy chief of the department, Vince Robison, is on vacation, but declined to comment through a police spokesman, citing his wish to honor the confidential process.
Both of the assistant chiefs in the department, Ozzy Gibson and Kenton Buckner, said they will not being applying for the chief's job.
The Courier-Journal attempted to contact all of the current LMPD majors. Several did not respond to phone calls or emails. But two majors - J.T. Smith of special operations and Mark Fox of the 7th Division - said they were thinking about it and expected to make decisions on whether or not to apply in the coming days.
White said he's confident that good candidates will apply for the job and that the Louisville department has prepared many of those candidates.
"There's a pool of people inside this department who would do an excellent job," White said.
He also pointed to four people who are now serving as chiefs in other cities who could be considered as candidates: John Reed, chief in Henderson, Ky.; Terri Wilfong, chief in Greenville, S.C.; Troy Riggs, chief in Corpus Christi; and Steve Conrad, chief in Glendale, Ariz.
Riggs, who is soon to take over an assistant city manager position in Corpus Christi, said this week he will not be applying for the Louisville job. Wilfong said she is very happy in Greenville, but might consider the Louisville job if the process is open to people outside the department.
Conrad said he is "interested to see if there is an opportunity for someone who has left to come back and lead what I believe is the premier law enforcement agency in Kentucky."
Reed said he will likely look at the application over the weekend, but hasn't decided whether to apply. "No matter who gets it," Reed said, "it will be a great opportunity."
Other names outside the department have also surfaced in recent days, including Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders. He declined to say whether he will apply for the job. He started his career as a county officer, spent years with the Drug Enforcement Administration and is now chief of the Jeffersontown Police Department.