WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A nationwide search is now underway to replace the now former West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley.
Adderley was fired Tuesday morning and Mayor Keith James cited financial improprieties, among other reasons, for the dismissal.
In that address to the media, James said with Adderley as the chief, standards were not being met. In the meantime, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Col. Tony Araujo is the interim chief, but won’t be considered for a permanent position. So, it begs the question, what are officials looking for in West Palm Beach’s new top cop?
WATCH BELOW: West Palm Beach mayor announces firing of police chief
To get to the bottom of it, WPTV’s Michael Hoffman spoke with Andrew Scott, the former chief of police in Boca Raton.
He told Hoffman there are a number of factors that play into the selection process. He said whether the department hires an outside headhunter or conducts the search on its own, it will be looking at a number of factors from law enforcement education, to previous experience and training, to reputation at those previous, similarly sized agencies.
“They’ll want to whittle down the list of candidates, because given that it’s West Palm Beach, I’m sure they’ll have a number of individuals that’ll want to apply," said Scott.
Scott said the fact that it’s a nationwide search, leads him to believe the mayor’s office is looking for a major culture shift in the department, something that will no doubt be on the mind of any candidate.
“You’ve got to deal with the issues within the culture of the organization and you’ve got to deal with the sentiment of the public," said Scott. "If there’s mistrust or distrust you’ve really got to make an effort to obliterate that mistrust."
However, what Scott said is one of the most important aspects of the job is the ability of this new candidate to build trust with the community.
WATCH: West Palm Beach police chief fired
“First and foremost what [the people of West Palm Beach] should demand is transparency from the chief,” said Scott. “They’re going to want to touch, see and feel the chief. And the chief has got to make themselves available. Making themselves available means that the community is going to believe that this individual means what they say and will do what they say and will listen to them.”
Hoffman reached out to the mayor’s office for requirements and a timeline on the hiring process but has not yet received a response.
WPTV will update you when we know more.
More of WPTV's coverage on firing of West Palm Beach police chief:
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'STANDARDS ... NOT BEING MET': Mayor fires West Palm Beach police chief
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