This evening, the Demopolis City Council will receive the recommendation from the personnel committee for its next police chief.

The council has four well-qualified people to choose from in parole officer Randall Estes, DPD Patrolman Leslie Hines, Marengo County chief deputy Tommie Reese and interim DPD chief Tim Williams.

Williams has done a fine job as interim chief since being named to that post last June. If anything, his tenure could only help his candidacy.

Whomever the Demopolis City Council chooses as the next chief of police — a decision that may or may not be made today — that decision will help bring continuity to the Demopolis Police Department as it gets its first non-interim chief since Jeff Manuel resigned as the public safety director in June 2008.

It speaks well of our law enforcement personnel to have such qualified candidates for police chief. Although the candidates are competing for the same job, it is not like sports, with winners and losers. One person will be named police chief, but the others will continue to protect and to serve locally.