(MOBILE, Ala.) - The Fairhope City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to appoint Interim Police Chief Joe Petties as the city's new police chief.
Chief Petties was chosen out of 60 candidates who applied for the position, and was among four finalists interviewed for the position last week. Petties, who served 30 years in the Fairhope Police Department, was chosen as the interim chief in September after the Former Chief Bill Press resigned.
"I'm just overjoyed right now," Chief Petties said, "I just really want to be here to try to get things settled down in Fairhope, and work with each and every one to get back to-well, a lot of people say, back like it used to be. But I want it to get it to where we had everybody getting along."
City leaders said Petties had the qualities they were looking for in a police chief.
"We really agonized over this decision, but, I think, in the end, we picked the best man for the job," Fairhope Council President Jake Burrell said, "His men respect him, he has the utmost integrity and I'm just happy that we have him in this city to serve us."
Mayor Tim Kant said a local guy is who he wanted all along.
"Especially now I know the chief I can actually go to work with," Kant said, "He's just apart of the family within the community, and I think that's what people like best about Joe."
Council members also decided Tuesday night to amend the chiefs four-year contact to allow for a one-year probation period. The city will reevaluate Chief Petties' performance a year from now.
