The city will try to retain Capt. David Lamph as interim police chief until a replacement is found, Mayor Don Christiansen told the Deseret News Wednesday night.
Lamph, who works for the Utah County Sheriff's Department, has been the acting chief of police since Dan Jones resigned on Sept. 29. Sheriff David Bateman had told Alpine it could borrow Lamph's services until Dec. 15.Christiansen said he intends to ask Bateman for an extension to Lamph's stay in Alpine.
The city did not sign a formal contract, Bateman said, but had a verbal agreement that Lamph would head the Alpine Police Department until Dec. 15.
Bateman said Lamph will make the decision whether to return to the sheriff's department or stay with Alpine until the new chief is hired, but he admitted the county needs Lamph.
Lamph might possibly work part-time in Alpine until the new chief is named, Bateman said.
Lamph did a lot of things to help organize the department, Bateman said, and it should run smoothly until the new person is named.
"At this point in time, they don't really need a chief, they need a warm body that can fill a shift," Bateman said.
The City Council met in a closed executive session Tuesday night to discuss candidates for chief of police.
Christiansen said he had hoped to name the new chief in Tuesday's meeting, but that was not possible.
Mayor-elect Joel Hall sat in on the discussion, as did councilman-elect Kent Hanson. Whether the new chief is named during the last weeks of Christiansen's tenure or when Hall takes the position in January is up to Hall, Christiansen said. Christiansen said he is leaving the decision to Hall since he will be the one responsible for the police department.
Alpine received 35 applications for the position before the Oct. 29 deadline.