Louisville has announced that the search to fill the chief of police position is narrowed down to four finalists and invites the public to a reception to meet the candidates.

The candidates, announced Monday, are Alice Cary, Jeff Fisher, Deric Gress and Rafael Gutierrez.

Fisher is the current interim chief of police after David Hayes’s departure in November. Fisher spent the majority of his career at the Loveland Police Department in various roles with increasing responsibility before going to the Louisville department. Fisher graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University.

Gutierrez is the current deputy chief of police for the Greeley Police Department, and has spent over 20 years there in various roles with increasing responsibility. He also graduated from FBI National Academy in 2022. Gutierrez has a master’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Colorado State University.

Gress is the current assistant chief of police at the Breckenridge Police Department and was previously the criminal investigator for the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Breckenridge and served as the lieutenant of operations for the Ypsilanti Police Department in Ypsilanti, Mich. Gress graduated from the FBI National Academy. He has a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Siena Heights University in Michigan and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Cary current serves as the chief of police for the University of Illinois Department of Public Safety and was previously chief for the University of Maryland, Baltimore Police Department and a captain in the University of Oregon Police Department. Cary has a master’s degree in criminal justice management from Colorado Technical University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University in Michigan.

Louisville residents are invited to attend a community reception with the four finalists at 4:30 p.m. April 20 at the Louisville Recreation and Senior Center, 900 West Via Appia Way. The reception will allow the public to meet the finalists and ask questions in an informal setting. Reception attendees will also have the chance to provide input on the candidates, which City Manager Jeff Durbin will take into consideration during the selection process. Durbin will extend a formal job offer after the interviews take place on April 21, with the new chief being announced at a later date.

Louisville consulted with KRW Associates to narrow down the candidate pool to the four finalists from 29 applications. The candidates were selected based on their education, experience, and responses to interview questions

The chief of police is hired by the city manager, and will oversee daily operations and administration of the Louisville department.

Louisville residents who wish to attend the community reception and need interpretation or translation should contact City Clerk Meredyth Muth at meredythm@louisvillecO.gov or can call (303) 335-4536.