Mayor D.C. Reeves announced Tuesday that three candidates have been selected as finalists to lead the Pensacola Police Department, setting up a unique public selection process scheduled for mid-January.
The finalists are Brian Dugan, retired police chief from Tampa; Eric Goss, currently serving as acting deputy police chief for Pensacola; and Eric Winstrom, the current police chief in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Public Input Process
In a departure from typical department head appointments, the city has designed an extensive public engagement process. All three finalists will participate in a public forum at the Sanger Theatre on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. where they will answer questions submitted by community. The city will announce how citizens can submit questions in advance.
The following morning, Jan. 14, each candidate will face individual panel interviews with a six-person committee. Those interviews will be live-streamed from City Hall, scheduled at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m.
“This job is a little different in that way,” Reeves said, explaining the public-facing selection process. “Whoever’s in this job has an obligation not only to keep everybody safe, but to be out there and communicating and having a relationship with our entire community.”
Selection Process
The mayor reported that approximately 80 vetted applications were reviewed before arriving at the three finalists, with several semifinalists receiving additional interviews before the field was narrowed. Reeves emphasized the quality of the candidate pool, noting that even those who didn’t make the final cut were qualified for the position.
Key Priorities
When asked what he’s looking for in the next chief, Reeves emphasized employee engagement and morale—factors that drove the previous leadership change. “If that’s why we made the change last time, then we certainly are going to be emphasizing morale and employee engagement when it comes to this time around,” he said.
The mayor also cited experience, community familiarity, and track record as important factors, while acknowledging that each candidate brings different strengths to the position.
Following the January interviews, Reeves said a decision would come “as quickly as reasonable,” with the appointment ultimately requiring City Council approval.
Council representatives will have some opportunity to meet the candidates during their January visit, though organizing that remains complicated by Sunshine Law requirements.