Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that he plans to hire the city’s next police chief within 16 weeks.

The mayor said Minneapolis will gather community input and then work with a national executive search firm to find qualified candidates.

In a press release, Frey outlined a six-phase selection plan that includes input from stakeholders, and several rounds of candidate interviews.

"Selecting a police chief is one of the most important decisions a mayor can make," said Frey. "We've made significant progress to make Minneapolis safer over the last several years, but we still have work to do. This position demands someone who can lead a complex department, support officers, build trust with residents, and continue delivering results – both fighting crime and making reforms. Filling this role is a priority, so we're going to conduct a thorough search and get this right."

The city was left without a permanent chief after Brian O’Hara resigned last month after investigators found he interfered with an earlier investigation into his behavior.

Council member Michael Rainville told Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer Tuesday that he would like to see an internal candidate selected as the next chief.

“Rumor has it that there are three or four internal candidates that are thinking about applying for the job as well, whereas last time, only one internal candidate applied when we hired Chief O'Hara. So that's very exciting.”

He said under O’Hara’s tenure, the department made progress implementing reforms mandated by the city’s agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. And he said an internal hire could keep that process moving more smoothly.

Frey said he expects a new chief to be confirmed by October or November.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.