ELBERTA, Ala. - When Interim Elberta Police Chief Julie Joyner took her spot as head of the Elberta Police Department, she was in no rush to remove the interim tag.

"What I told (the council) when they made me interim is I am not in a hurry to make it permanent," Joyner said.

Elberta Mayor Marvin Williams also is content keeping Joyner in the interim chief role.

"I want it to go on a little bit longer to see how she is doing," Williams said.

Elberta has had an interim chief for a total of 116 days, with Joyner being named interim chief on March 7.

By comparison, the town of Summerdale was without an appointed police chief for 88 days before the Summerdale council appointed Frankie "Eddie" Ingram as the new police chief on June 13. Dwain Riebeling was fired by the council at a March 17 hearing.

Elberta Mayor Marvin Williams said there should be no comparison between how Summerdale handled its police chief vacancy and how Elberta is handling it.

"You are dealing with two completely different councils. Our council has different views," Williams said.

Williams also said the last time a chief was appointed, the town made a quicker decision and maybe "made some mistakes." Gary Peaden resigned as Elberta Police Chief in May 2009 and Pledger was appointed as the new chief in July 2009. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office announced March 4 that Pledger was arrested and charged with firing into an occupied building, filing a false police report and tampering with evidence.

"We appointed a chief within the first 45-60 days (last time there was an opening)," Williams said. "We should try this out a little bit longer.

"The only reason we have not promoted (Joyner) to official chief is out of mutual respect for the town and her. Chief Joyner and I are happy with the way it is."

Joyner said the first few months heading the police department have been "up and down."

"At first it was a lot of stress, but it has gotten better as I've learned this job more," she said.