KELLY FARRELL / Staff

Marco Island Police Chief Tom Carr.

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By mid-week, the city of Marco Island received 80 applications from across the country for the police chief position.

“It’s generated quite an interest. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be chief of the Marco Island Police Department. That’s a great, great job. This is a very desirable place. Because we live here, we sometimes lose sight of that,” said City Clerk Laura Litzan

The city put out public notice of the position Monday. Within three days, over 80 applications were received, she said. A couple of those applicants were Southwest Florida residents and many more local residents have expressed an interest in the position and said they plan to apply.

City Manager Steve Thompson said that although he likes to see locals succeed professionally, the most important thing is to find the candidate that is best for the people of Marco Island.

Acting Chief Thom Carr had not formally submitted his application as of print time, but said he planned on doing so.

“I didn’t really want to put in for this position ... Everyone was urging me and I went ahead and jumped for it,” Carr said.

Carr also said he believed patrolmen Ed Stenzel of the MIPD should apply although there is no word yet as to whether he will.

Retired Deputy Chief James Slapp of the Naples Police Department was among the candidates who already submitted his application. Slapp was unable to be contacted for comment in time for print, but Litzan said he fits the qualifications.

Slapp served with the City of Naples for 22 years and was deputy chief from 1999 to 2007 before retiring from the department December 2007.

Slapp was one of the officials who conducted an internal investigation of Naples police officers who were accused of falsifying their education backgrounds in order to receive higher pay in 2006.

Carr said he is very interested in the position and acknowledged he will be competing among the nations’ top candidates.

“It’s similar to the search for a city manager candidate ... we are getting the most qualified people from all across the country, the cream of the crop,” Litzan said.

The city will be accepting applications through June 20.

“We won’t even begin looking at these until the 20th. The applicants will likely be cut in half at the first pass,” Litzan said adding that many won’t fit the minimum requirements.

Although residing on Marco Island is preferred and not required according to the job posting, if that changes it may be a challenge for some candidates.

“If it were to become required I would have to pass it up,” said Carr, who resides in Naples.

Carr was one of only a couple initial employees in the emergency services department who created the police department which went into service at midnight of the new millennium, January 1, 2000.

Thompson said he doesn’t “add any emphasis on local person.”

He explained: “A local person has the advantage of having already demonstrated their strengths. On the other hand, you already know all their weaknesses.”

Carr also said there were advantages and disadvantages to a local or “insider” such as himself.

“If you’re from out of town you don’t know anyone. It’s a big learning curve. A police department can be pretty strange sometimes when you bring a new person in ... Sometimes, such as when (former Police Chief) Reinke came in, everything works fine.”

Carr, a helicopter pilot and retired Army Lt. Col., said being on the inside may have its challenges too.

“In a small organization like this (34 sworn officers) sometimes you can be a little too close to the people,” he said.

After June 20, Thompson plans to narrow the list down to about eight candidates and continue interviewing perhaps for a couple weeks.