Search for new West Dundee police chief down to four

West Dundee is looking for a new police chief and has narrowed the field down to four finalists.

On Monday, village trustees will meet in closed session for a second round of interviews with the four candidates. The village board narrowed the field from six to four candidates in a previous round of interviews, Village President Chris Nelson said.

The village received about 60 applications for the job, Nelson said.

Chief Anthony Gorski retired in early July. His career with the West Dundee Police Department spanned 30 years, the last five as police chief. Deputy Chief Dan Haines, who has spent his entire 30-year career in West Dundee, was appointed interim chief until a permanent replacement is named.

Of the four candidates, two are from within the village’s police department and two are from other departments. The village board will make a recommendation to the village manager, who has hiring authority for a new chief.

The new chief will lead a department of 19 sworn officers.

“We’re looking for someone who can continue to provide that small-town community policing,” Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

Nelson said the new chief will be involved in developing plans for a new police station. Currently, the police and fire departments share a building off Route 31 and Strom Drive. The village hopes to build a new police station and transform the existing public safety building into a fire station.

The village’s salary range for department managers, including the police chief, is between $132,000 to $174,500.

Nelson said he expects a new chief to be announced within the next several weeks.