Citizen Staff Writer
CARLI BROSSEAU
brosseau@tucsoncitizen.com
The appointment of Tucson’s next police chief is scheduled for the City Council’s May 5 meeting as a consent agenda item, a draft of the agenda shows.
The council votes on the consent agenda without discussion unless a member of the council requests the item be put on the regular agenda.
Unlike the nationwide search that was called off in March, the City Council will not interview the candidates, Assistant City Manager Richard Miranda said.
However, there likely will be a meet-and-greet session at which members of the council can talk to the hopefuls, he said.
Nine Tucson Police Department commanders applied for the job during the internal recruitment, including two who were in the final four of the earlier search – Assistant Chief John Leavitt and Capt. Brett Klein.
The list of nine will be whittled to four Wednesday by a panel of law enforcement experts that will include former police chiefs, said Miranda, a former chief himself.
Four candidates will drop to two the next evening, after a pair of community panels, one composed of neighborhood and community leaders and the other of union members, Miranda said.
Miranda and City Manager Mike Letcher will interview the two finalists and recommend a candidate to the council for approval.
Police union president Larry Lopez complained during the earlier process of council “meddling.” He declined to endorse a candidate Tuesday but said that he hoped the process remains as outlined.
A requirement that the new chief live in the city will be enforced, Miranda said. Currently, each applicant lives outside the city.
The candidates
Assistant Chief John Leavitt
Assistant Chief Roberto Villaseñor
Capt. Brett Klein
Capt. David Neri
Capt. Clayton Kidd
Capt. Robert Shoun
Capt. Bill Richards
Capt. Perry Tarrant
Capt. George Rodriguez
Source: City of Tucson Human Resources Department