FAIRHOPE, Alabama—Fifty-nine men and one woman from 14 states want to be Fairhope’s next police chief.

Applicants for the $80,000-a-year job include more than a dozen police chiefs from around Alabama and the country, as well as numerous police and sheriff’s office staff, four FBI agents, several state troopers and state agency law enforcement personnel, and a number of law enforcement retirees and self-employed.

Those seeking the job are from Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, New York, Michigan, Washington and Washington, D.C.

The applicants include Interim Chief Joe Petties, who has served since September. His appointment came after the resignation of Chief Bill Press, following the municipal election that month, which saw a new majority on the City Council that was not expected to reappoint him.

Former Fairhope Police Department Chief Chris Browning and former Capt. Steve Griffis have also applied. Browning’s application shows he resigned from the state Attorney General’s Office where he went to work after being chief in Fairhope, and Griffis’ application indicates he left his FPD job for “political” reasons. Browning states he is self-employed with a private security company and Griffis that he works security at the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Reservation. More than one other current FPD employee also seeks the job.

During a City Council work session on Dec. 10, Councilman Rich Mueller, who serves on a committee that will narrow the number of candidates, said interviews for the finalists would be conducted in open meetings. Mueller and Councilman Kevin Boone were appointed to the Police, Fire and Courts Committee by Council President Jack Burrell on Nov. 5.

The information on the applicants, and that interviews would comply with the Alabama Open Meetings Act, came in response to a public records request and inquiries by The Courier. Also in response to the newspaper’s inquiry, Mayor Tim Kant said the pool of applicants would be reduced to a small group by him and the two members of the Police, Fire and Courts Committee.

As of press time, that committee had not given public notice of any of its meetings.