The Personnel Search Committee seeking to select a new chief of police has reportedly agreed on a number one candidate and a background check on the candidate has begun.

The five-member Board of Police Commissioners, which is acting as the Personnel Search Committee in this matter, was joined last week by two representatives from the Board of Selectmen and two representatives from the Board of Finance to interview three final candidates for the position.

First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said Monday that three finalists were interviewed Nov. 24. This was the second round of interviews for these three. From that round, McPherson said, a first choice was agreed upon. He said he believes the background check on the candidate is underway.

McPherson was one of the two selectmen representatives sitting in on the interviews. The other was former first selectman Al Goldberg. The Board of Finance representatives were two women, Jennifer Tung and Kathy Rossini.

The candidate, who McPherson would not name, "was either the first or second choice of everybody" involved in the interviews.

"We have an excellent first choice, I think, and a very strong number two. We'll see how this process plays out," McPherson said.

The process calls for completion of the background check, which will then be reviewed by the search committee. If found acceptable, an offer will then be made to the candidate. Unlike police chief appointments in past years, the candidate will be asked to sign a five-year employment contract. When advertised, the position carried a salary of $95,000.

The commission received 132 applications for the police chief's position. A "chiefs committee" composed of three

retired police chiefs, one active police chief, the superintendent of schools, and local retired attorney Daniel Sullivan reduced the number to 11. The police commission, acting as the Personnel Search Committee, reduced that number to five and

interviews with the candidates were scheduled. None of the five finalists was an internal candidate.

One of the five withdrew just before the interviews began. The candidate is believed to be Milford Police Chief Keith Mello. The names of the candidates have not been made public, although a number of members of the Police Department, as well as community members, apparently know who the final candidates are.

Although McPherson said the process may take longer than anticipated, "We still hope to have a new chief in place by the end of the year."