The position of the new Madison Police Chief may be filled by an internal commissioned officer, the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners said in a statement Thursday.

“The [PFC] will determine the level of interest from qualified applicants within the Madison Police Department … before making a final decision as to whether to seek formal applications only from within the Department or to conduct a national search,” the statement said.

City Council President Mike Verveer said he is pleased with the decision to search in-house before resorting to a costly and time-consuming national search.

“I am very excited the Police and Fire Commissioners decided to start the search from within because we have a good crop of qualified candidates within the Department,” Verveer said.

Verveer also said the PFC has sole authority to hire the Police Chief without input from the City Council, so local officers would have the advantage of already working with the local elected officials.

“I hope the new chief would bring experience and a background that would show commitment to community-oriented policing,” Verveer said. “The Madison Police Department is one of the most educated, diverse and progressive units in the country. The new chief should show a commitment to continuing diversity.”

According to the statement, the deadline for expressing interest in the position is April 12, 2004. The Board would like to determine whether a national search will be conducted by April 30, 2004. If the position is filled internally, applications will be available by mid-May.

The search for a new chief began earlier this month when Chief Richard Williams announced he would retire April 2, 2004. He held the position for 11 years.

“The process is just beginning, and in fact, we have not yet printed the application form,” Board Counsel Scott Herrick said.

Herrick said the Board is not yet sure as to the number of applicants they expect.

“The Board believes that there may be sufficient interest from within the Department to form a competitive pool of highly-qualified applicants, but the Board can determine this only by reviewing formal statements of interest and preliminary application and background materials,” the commissioners said in a statement.

Verveer said two probable candidates have emerged, including Assistant Chief Noble Wray and Captain Cheri Maples. Wray will serve as interim chief after Williams retires.