by DAVID HAMILTON

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — City officials said Friday the field of applicants for Natchez Police Chief has been narrowed down to five.

Chairman of the Civil Service Commission Dante Weir said the commission, which began evaluating applicants in June, handed in its recommendations to the city Friday afternoon.

The commission used criteria determined by Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell to select the final five applicants. Those criteria boil down to two main requirements:

4A four-year degree in criminal justice (or a related field) from an accredited university

4Relevant work experience in the field

4The final decision for the next chief now rests with the mayor and board of aldermen.

Grennell said he would begin scheduling interviews with the five applicants, and those interviews should take place over the course of the next two weeks.

A new chief should be announced, Grennell said, by the end of the month.

Weir said he would let the city decide when to announce the names of the final five applicants, and Grennell said he would not release the names until after the interviews have been completed and the position filled.