The Summerdale Town Council and Mayor David Wilson will begin interviewing applicants Thursday for the vacant police chief position.

Wilson and the council discussed the next step in the hiring procedure at the May 3 council work session, and the council reviewed seven resumés of applicants that Wilson thought should be considered for the position.

"There are four that I thought would be top candidates and three that would be maybes," Wilson said at the meeting, noting the town received a total of 52 applications.

The council will interview the four top candidates beginning this week, with two interviews taking place Thursday beginning at 3 p.m. and two happening next Tuesday; and if the position is not filled from those candidates, the other three applicants will be interviewed.

The Summerdale Town Council unanimously voted on March 17 to terminate Dwain Riebeling's employment as the town's police chief.

The council held a hearing at the town's Municipal Complex regarding Mayor David Wilson's request for the termination of Riebeling's employment with the town, and the council held a public meeting afterwards to vote on the matter.

The town of Summerdale released a letter on March 11 regarding why Wilson recommended to the council Riebeling's termination. Riebeling received the letter on March 7. The letter lists 14 reasons why Riebeling was considered for termination, with accusations including: incompetence and inefficiency; inattention to duty; neglect of duty regarding a Nov. 9, 2010 incident; insubordination; and failure to conduct a proper investigation regarding a june 2010 shooting.

Wilson said he hopes the town has hired a new police chief by the end of the month.

"I would like to (decide) within 30 days," he said, noting the interviews and background checks of those being considered need to be completed.

Councilman Travis Townsend thinks it is important for the town to take a major step forward in filling the police chief vacancy.

"It's showing the citizens that we are moving forward but also we are finding someone who will help move the police department forward and not keep it stagnant," he said.

Summerdale does not have an interim police chief; but Lt. Tony Nolfe of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office is helping oversee the town's police department, Wilson said. Nolfe also picked out a few of the applicants he thought would be best for the job, and his picks matched up with some of the mayor's picks, Wilson said.

The council also liked the ones the mayor picked and agreed to begin the interview process.

"These four your picked out are pretty sharp," Councilman Myles Bishop said.

Wilson explained the procedure he took in determining the best applicants and narrowing down the potential chiefs, and it started with looking at experience and proximity. Some of the applicants had information on the internet, and Wilson said was able to look up some newspaper articles and learn about the candidates.

"Everything I read was good," he said.

According to Wilson, the council should be part of the interview process, and after the first interviews the candidates should take "aptitude tests" similar to the what the sheriff's office conducts with potential hires.

"I want everybody to be 100 percent happy with the person we select," Wilson said. "I want it to be a join effort with the mayor and council.

"(The police chief) is our direct connection in my opinion to the public."

Wilson said at Monday's council meeting the interviews would be public meetings since the police chief position is an appointed position and the mayor and council will conduct the interviews together.

"It's like a regular meeting," he said. "As of now, the meetings will be public."

Wilson approached the sheriff's office in February about issues with the effectiveness and size of the police department. There was mention of disbanding the town police department and leaving the area to the supervision of sheriff's office deputies.

Baldwin County Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack told the council and residents at the March 14 council meeting that the county's role in the town's policing is as a supplement to the town's police department and not as a replacement.

There currently are four officers on staff in the town's police department, Wilson said, and lately the department has "been getting compliments."