City considers eight applicants for Eugene police chief position.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

Eight people have applied to take the reins of the Eugene Police Department in the city's second attempt to hire a new chief.

Two of the candidates currently work at the department, Human Resources Director Lauren Chouinard said. The six others come from all over the country.

The city withheld the names of the candidates Monday.

However, Capt. Steve Swenson, head of the department's special operations division, which includes the SWAT team, crowd-control team and the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, confirmed that he applied for the job. Swenson, 47, joined the Eugene police June 29, 2000, after a career with the Springfield Police Department, where he reached the rank of captain and served briefly as interim chief.

"All I can say right now is that I have put in my resume as an interested party," Swenson said.

Capt. Elvia Williams, thought to be the second internal candidate, did not return two calls Monday seeking confirmation. Williams joined Eugene police June 26, 2000, after a career with the Newport News, Va., police department. She oversees patrol operations for the city.

The position has been vacant since the Dec. 31, 2001, retirement of former Chief Jim Hill. Investigations Capt. Thad Buchanan has served as interim chief since then. He has said he does not want the permanent job, which pays between $90,528 and $113,484 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.

The first search fell apart at the last moment when the finalist backed out in early September. George Aylward, police chief at the University of Minnesota, turned down the job when his family expressed reservations about moving out West.

The position was first posted in June and 53 candidates from across the country submitted applications to the city's recruiter, Bob Murray and Associates of Roseville, Calif.

It was reposted on the recruiter's Web site in early October and closed Friday. This time around, Murray sought out several applicants who didn't compete in the first round, Chouinard said. Only one of the current eight candidates applied during the first search. That person dropped out the first time when a scheduling conflict kept him from attending interviews.

City Manager Dennis Taylor already has spoken to most of the applicants, Chouinard said.

The city plans to keep the process moving at a fast clip.

Taylor will narrow the field this week to four or six candidates, who will come to Eugene for three panel interviews scheduled for Nov. 21, Chouinard said. One panel will be made up of community members, one of law enforcement professionals, and the third of other city department heads.

The city manager will pick one or two finalists for further screening that weekend, and an announcement is likely to be made the first week of December, Chouinard said. The selection will become official after a background check and other final details.

The city will pay the recruiter's expenses for the second search but no additional recruiter's fee, Chouinard has said. The second round is being treated as an extension of the original $25,000 contract between the city and Murray's firm.