What are officials looking for in West Palm Beach’s new police chief?

A nationwide search is currently underway to replace now former West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley.

Adderley was fired Tuesday morning, and Mayor Keith James cited financial irregularities, among other reasons, for his dismissal.

In this speech to the media, James said with Adderley as leader: standards were not respected. In the meantime, Col. Tony Araujo of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is the acting chief, but will not be considered for a permanent position. So that begs the question: What are officials looking for in West Palm Beach’s new top cop?

WATCH BELOW: West Palm Beach Mayor Announces Police Chief’s Firing

To get to the bottom of it, WPTV’s Michael Hoffman spoke with Andrew Scott, the former Boca Raton police chief.

He told Hoffman that a number of factors go into the selection process. He said that whether the department hires an external headhunter or conducts the search itself, it will look at a number of factors ranging from law enforcement training to prior experience and training, including through reputation with previous agencies of similar size.

“They’ll want to narrow down the list of applicants, because given that it’s West Palm Beach, I’m sure a number of people will want to apply,” Scott said.

Scott said the fact that this is a nationwide search leads him to believe that the mayor’s office is seeking a major culture change in the department, something that will undoubtedly be in the mind of any candidate.

“You have to manage issues related to the culture of the organization and you have to manage public sentiment,” Scott said. “If there is mistrust or distrust, you really have to make an effort to erase that distrust.

However, according to Scott, one of the most important aspects of the position is this new candidate’s ability to build trust with the community.

WATCH: West Palm Beach Police Chief Fired

“What (West Palm Beach residents) should demand most of all is transparency from the chief,” Scott said. “They will want to touch, see and smell the chef. And the leader must make himself available. Making yourself available means that the community will believe that this individual means what he says, will do what he says and will listen to him.

Hoffman has reached out to the mayor’s office for requirements and timelines for the hiring process, but has not yet received a response.

WPTV will keep you posted when we know more.

More WPTV coverage of West Palm Beach police chief’s firing:

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