Several employees of the Selma Police and Fire Departments will be interviewed in the near future for those department’s top leadership position.

Six members of the Selma Police Department and six members of the Selma Fire Department have applied for the two open chief positions, according to Mayor George Evans.

“We are going to meet and go over applications,” Evans said.

All 12 candidates will be interviewed by Evans as well as City Council President Corey Bowie and Councilwomen Angela Benjamin and Susan Keith. Interim police chief Robert Green will also serve on the police committee, while outgoing fire chief Mike Stokes and assistant chief Mark Walker will help with their department’s search.

“We hope to accomplish this within 30 days,” Evans said.

The mayor said should the committee decide to look outside the department for leadership that process would begin as soon as possible.

“If it’s not what we think we desire or need, we’ll start a national search,” Evans said.

Police Chief William Riley resigned in late July to accept a job near Detroit, Michigan, after more than seven years in Selma.

Stokes will retire Sept. 1 after more than 25 years with the Selma Fire Department.