Former Macon Police Chief candidate for Americus top cop
Former police chief, Mike Burns, has been named as one of the top three candidates applying for the job. Brett Murray and Brian Corney are also candidates.
Americus Chief Administrative Officer, Laura Lee Bernstein tells 41NBC, Burns “certainly has the experience and education to do the job.”
Burns retired from the Macon Police Department in 2013 after serving 38 years with the agency. Bernstein says Burns education and experience of being Macon’s Police Chief helped him to beat out more than 75 applicants.
Bernstein says by law, the city will have a negotiation period with all three candidates, which will last 14 days. Afterwards, on Oct. 22, Americus Mayor, Barry Blount and city council are scheduled to announce their decision.
“The mayor and city council can emerge with a narrower list of two candidates or announce the candidate of their choice,” she says. “Hopefully they will be able to choose one of these individuals. All of the candidates have the experience and the education to perform the job of police chief.”
Americus Police Chief’s annual salary ranges from the mid 60’s to the mid 80’s. “Of course we are hoping to get somewhere in the middle,” she continued.
The Americus Police Chief position has been vacant since May 2013, according to Bernstein. She says the city has had two co-interim police chiefs that have served “diligently.”
“They didn’t expect it to be this long, none of us did,” she added. “We started in August with 80 applicants.”
The city used an Atlanta head-hunting firm, Slavin and Associates, during the third round of the police chief selection process, according to Bernstein.
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