Sevens are wild in Waltham police chief search

WALTHAM

A seven-member selection committee will interview seven candidates this week for the post of Waltham's chief of police, Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said.

Of the seven candidates, four of whom are lieutenants in the department. McCarthy said a city ordinance allows lieutenants to be considered for the post if there are fewer than four internal applicants -- a situation created after a captain and deputy chief removed themselves from consideration last month.

McCarthy said she decided to allow all department lieutenants to apply after she learned that two of them had submitted applications. Captain Thomas LaCroix has been serving as acting police chief since August.

City Personnel Director Brenda Capello will serve as chairwoman of the committee, which also includes Waltham Council of Neighborhood Advocates president Doris Donovan, Council on Aging Director Marybeth Duffy, labor relations and human resources consultant Gerard Hayes, School Committee member Stephen Rando, attorney Soledad Valenciano, and Lynn Police Chief John Suslak.

The committee will give its recomendations on semifinalists for the job to McCarthy, who will make the final decision.

-- Stephanie V. Siek