The City of Gainesville wants you to help officials select the new Gainesville police chief.
Current Chief Norman Botsford says he wants to retire by November 1st.
And Gainesville City Manager Russ Blackburn says... he wants to hire the new chief by early August.
Since the position was posted last week, Blackburn says he's already received 24 applications, and it's not just up to him and other officials to make the decision... citizen input is encouraged.
Blackburn says a selection panel will help narrow down the top 10 candidates. Then, those 10 will attend a reception with the community, so citizens can get to know them.
Some residents are calling for more diversity in the Gainesville Police Department.
"We will be conducting an organizational review...to look at our culture, to look at the kind of officers we're recruiting," Russ Blackburn said.
Blackburn says despite the negative attention the police department has received recently, he wants to unite the community to make a positive decision in the hiring of the new chief.