VENICE POLICE CHIEF SEARCH DOWN TO 10

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW POLICE CHIEF IN VENICE HAS BEEN NARROWED DOWN TO TEN FINALISTS.  PUBLISHED REPORTS SAY VENICE POLICE CAPTAIN TOM MCNULTY AND INTERIM NORTH PORT CITY MANAGER TERRY LEWIS ARE AMONG THE FINALISTS, WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED IN A PUBLIC MEETING ON MARCH 17^TH AT 8:30AM AT VENICE CITY HALL.  ACTING CITY MANAGER NANCY WOODLEY WILL THEN INTERVIEW THE SURVIVING THREE TO FIVE CANDIDATES ON MARCH 30^TH AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.  ONE REPORT SAYS THEY COULD MAKE A FINAL DECISION AT THEIR APRIL 26^TH MEETING.  THE OTHER EIGHT REMAINING CANDIDATES ARE MAJOR SAL RUGGIERO OF THE TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT, MAJOR MARK TENUNIS OF THE CLEARWATER POLICE DEPARTMENT, DEPUTY CHIEF EUGENIO BERNAL OF THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT, MAJOR DWAYNE FLOURNOY OF THE HALLANDALE BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE CHIEF MARK LOWE OF THE REPUBLIC, MISSOURI POLICE DEPARTMENT, ASSISTANT CHIEF MICHAEL MILLS OF THE SOUTH MIAMI POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND DISTRICT CHIEF PAUL O’CONNELL OF THE BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.  DEPUTY CHIEF WILLIAM TOKAJER FROM THE BRADENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THE TENTH FINALIST, BUT ONE REPORT SAYS HE’S WITHDRAWN HIS APPLICATION AS HE HAS A CONDITIONAL OFFER WITH THE LONGBOAT KEY POLICE DEPARTMENT.