For more than a month, the Board of Police Commissioners has been interviewing candidates for the position of commander, a newly created, number two post within the organizational structure of the Madison Police Department. The commission has made its decision, Chair Eric Thornburg said.

"We are finalizing the paperwork. I expect we will take a vote at our next meeting. We would like to see an Aug. 1 start date for the new commander," Thornburg said.

The commission meets this afternoon (Thursday, July 12) at 5:30 p.m. at the Police Department. The commission will not release the name of the candidate selected, Thornburg said, but instead formalize its offer. No names will be released until the candidate has accepted. The Board of Selectmen must also approve the selection.

Thornburg said the commission received a large number of responses when it advertised the position. Police Chief Jack Drumm reviewed the applications and recommended eight candidates for the commission's consideration. There was one internal candidate and seven external candidates.

"The commission had eight face-to-face interviews. All were exceptional," Thornburg said. "It is exciting to see the number of exceptional people interested in joining the Madison department."

Some of the candidates interviewed came from other municipal police departments, some were from the Connecticut State Police, and all were from Connecticut, Thornburg said.

There were two finalists called in for second interviews. For this round, the commissioners invited First Selectman Fillmore McPherson, Selectman Al Goldberg, and Human Resources Manager Amy Dickman to join them.

"Commissioner Ed Dowling has an extensive human resources background. Both he and Amy helped us to prepare a set of questions that guided us through this search," Thornburg explained.

A commander is "one level above a captain and one level below a deputy chief," the commissioner said. "We were looking for someone with extensive supervisor and leadership experience, certainly, but we wanted something more. We wanted to see those exceptional leadership skills, the transformational leadership skills that we see in Chief Drumm. The Madison department has made exceptional progress in the past two years and we want to bring in a new leader who, with Drumm, will continue to guide the department on its trajectory from good to great."

The department's recent retirements-six veteran officers including a captain, three lieutenants and a sergeant-have provided an opportunity for the chief and the commission to implement changes within the department, including this leadership change. "The timing here for us was spot-on." (See "O'Connor, Dobbin Retire from Police Department" on page 15.)

Thornburg said he believes the quality of the applications received speaks to the improvement within the department.

"Police officers from across the state see the department's trajectory and want to become a part of it," he said.

The commission's decision on the finalist was unanimous, he said, and added, "The other candidate was also outstanding."

Thornburg added, "I want to thank the officers who have recently retired. They gave much of their working lives to the Madison Police Department and the people of Madison. The commission wishes each of them well in the future, whatever that may hold for them."