Perry City Council and the mayor have finished interviews with the six finalists for the city’s police chief.

City Manager Lee Gilmour said Thursday candidates’ references are now being checked after interviews Monday through Wednesday.

No one has been eliminated at this point, Gilmour said, with council expected to make any narrowing decisions at a called or regularly scheduled meeting to be determined, he said.

The short list of candidates includes Perry police Capt. Bill Phelps, who heads the patrol division and was designated on an interim basis to handle some administrative functions of the department, and Capt. Heath Dykes, who is in charge of the criminal investigations division.

The other candidates have not been named, with Gilmour citing the confidentiality of the search process. But it’s been no secret Phelps and Dykes are candidates.

The opening was created by the June retirement of George Potter as the director of public safety. Mayor and council decided to dissolve that position and bring back the post of police chief.

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559.