Tulsa City Council members will interview candidates for police chief in executive session Aug. 19, Council Chairwoman Karen Gilbert announced Aug. 17.

The closed-door interviews mark a notable step in the search to replace Chief Dennis Larsen, who retires Sept. 30 after nearly 47 years with the Tulsa Police Department. But the council's involvement is advisory at best: under the Tulsa City Charter, only the mayor has the authority to select the police chief.

Gilbert and her colleagues have largely been kept in the dark about who the candidates are, according to the Tulsa World, as has the general public.

Two internal candidates are known to have applied: Deputy Chief Jonathan Brooks and Maj. Paul Fields, the Tulsa World reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the hiring process. Applications closed Aug. 6. City hiring policies require internal candidates to be considered first; if neither is selected, the job would be posted externally.

A search shaped by the mayor

Mayor Monroe Nichols has kept tight control of the process. At an Aug. 4 community listening session at Edison Preparatory School, about 40 residents showed up to share what they want in the next chief. Nichols said at that session he intentionally avoided discussing who had applied.

"My goal is to make the very best decision for the city right now," Nichols said at the Aug. 4 event, according to Crosswinds News. "I'm not looking for somebody running for police chief. I want somebody to be good at the job."

Nichols also met with the chiefs of the Osage, Cherokee and Muscogee Nations before the listening session to gather their input on the search, including questions they wanted asked of candidates.

Council's limited role

The tension between the council's interest and its lack of formal power has been a recurring theme. Councilors reviewed their authority under the City Charter on Aug. 6 after residents asked what role, if any, they play in selecting a chief.

Gilbert herself praised Larsen's service in the city's July 20 retirement announcement, calling his leadership "steady" and saying she was "incredibly grateful for his years of service." Now she is leading the council's effort to weigh in on his successor, even without a binding vote.

No date has been publicly announced for when Nichols will name his selection. Larsen's final day remains Sept. 30.