KNIGHTDALE — An interview process that included role playing and a forum with select community members has resulted in the emergence of two candidates for police chief/public safety center director.

Assistant Town Manager Seth Lawless didn’t release their names, but said two of the five top candidates have been identified for criminal and other background checks so that a final decision can be made.

On Dec. 18, each candidate went through a battery of evaluations, and tried to persuade law enforcement officers from Knightdale and other towns, town managers, the town staff and community members that he was best suited to lead the 31-member public safety center.

Knightdale uses a public safety model for law enforcement and fire protection. Each officer is trained as a rescue worker and firefighter as well as being trained for working as a police officer.

“I thought it was a very good process,” said Lawless. “Most of the credit goes to“(Human Resources Director) Suzanne Yeatts and Bill Chandler, N.C. ALE director. “He did a lot of the legwork and Suzanne really put together a good series of panels and experiences. We think it gave us a multi-faceted view of all the finalists.” Eight qualities candidates should possess were determined by surveying the public and from staff input. The assessment or “assessment center,” as it is commonly known, is designed to evaluate those qualities.

They are: integrity, objectivity, leadership, professional knowledge and the ability to build working relationships and written and oral communication.

The candidates were evaluated by their handling of e-mails, a mock staff meeting, interviews and panel discussion.

“Some public safety members were actors (at the staff meeting), conducting themselves as employees at staff meetings,” Lawless said. “They were prepared to make some difficult twists that the police chief might not expect.”

At the community presentation, about 12 citizens — business owners, homeowners association members and officers and public safety representatives who hadn’t participated in the role playing evaluated candidates in a panel discussion.

Each was asked to address the benefits of the public safety model for law enforcement for 10 minutes. They took questions afterward.

Lawless and Town Manager Gary McConkey held a final interview for candidates the next day.

Lawless said he expects the police chief to be named as soon as background checks are evaluated. That announcement could come as early as this week.

The search began after former police chief Ricky Pope retired following his arrest for assaulting his ex-wife. Town Council later decided to expand the position to public safety director. The salary range is $74,098-$110,322.

Lawless said using assessment centers to pick top leaders is common.

“This is not real new, it goes back to corporate philosophy in the 1920s and has been used by various military organizations,” said Lawless. “It’s not something that we’ve invented. It’s a tested predictor of performance.”