NORFOLK, Va. — A little more than four months after Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone retired from his post, the city has chosen a firm to look for his replacement.
Thursday, a spokeswoman said Morris & McDaniel Management Consultants will be helping Norfolk find its next "top cop."
Because it took until late August to find a consulting group, they're on a tight deadline -- leaders told 13News Now they were hoping to appoint a new police chief by October.
Spokeswoman Kelly Straub said Morris & McDaniel will likely take several months to choose the best candidate.
They city is paying the Alexandria based company $35,000 to help with the search.
Before he left, Boone had been part of the police force for 33 years. He stepped down on April 8, amid growing gun violence in the Downtown area. Three weeks later, an assistant police chief stepped down, too.
"Until we address poverty, I don't care where it is, whether it's Detroit, Cleveland or any of those areas, where's there's an urban setting, poverty, we're going to continue to have these conversations," Boone told us in May. "That is the only thing that will fix this."
Norfolk's Deputy City Manager Mike Goldsmith has served as an interim chief since Boone left.
"This is an exciting and progressive city and I believe the job opening will generate significant interest from high-quality candidates across the United States," City Manager Chip Filer said back in April.
Thursday, Straub said residents can come take part in meetings with Morris & McDaniel to help them set expectations and find a good fit for the police agency.
"Morris & McDaniel provides research and consulting expertise that combines behavioral science principles with statistical analysis and a practical, defensible approach tailored to the needs of clients," she wrote.
In their proposal, the firm said they want to hear what the city wants and their expectations for the new chief.
Then, they plan to have interview panels, emergency scenarios and written scenarios for each qualified candidate.
From there, they’ll narrow the field down to a handful of candidates and present them to the city.
The firm said they will search nationwide for the new chief, but will place an emphasis on the Southeast.
They also assured the city in their proposal they will recruit a diverse pool of candidates.