By Andrea Gregory

Three roundtrip tickets to Florida: $1,510; Lodging for two nights; $756; One day car rental; $80; The cost of choosing the best candidate for Somerville’s police chief: priceless.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and two other city officials spent the end of last week in Florida as one of the final steps in the police chief selection process. The total cost came to $2,346 and Curtatone said it was money well spent. However, he added that his three-day trip to the sunshine state was anything but a day at the beach.

“It was so hot and humid,” he said

The intent was to bring the mayor closer to selecting the next police chief. The Somerville Police department has operated for more than two years without a permanent police chief. With the selection process winding down and two of the final three candidates currently based in Florida, Curtatone decided it was necessary to fly south prior to decision-making time.

“I think it was a very effective visit and a necessary part of the process,” he said.

The city kicked off the process by hiring an outside recruitment agency for $21,000 to broaden the pool of applicants. The agency conducted a nationwide search to help Somerville fill its vacancy. A local committee then created a shortlist of the top three applicants and passed it onto the mayor. Curtatone is expected to choose one of the three within a month.

Part of the reason the city has gone years without a chief is due to the position being taken out of civil service. Acting Police Chief Robert R. Bradley has filled the role and overseen the department since March 2005. He has been a Somerville police officer since 1969.

Taking the chief‚Äôs job out of civil service allowed the city to conduct to a broader applicant search. Curtatone said he is trying to keep an open mind during the process. Although coincidence that two of the top picks live in Florida, Curtatone said he believes it was necessary to pay a site visit to their communities. 

In addition to Bradley, Miami-Dade Police Maj. Ruben Galindo and Clearwater, Fla. Police Capt. Anthony Holloway are in the running.

Galindo has a 20-year history with the Miami-Dade Police Department. He is a graduate of the University of Miami with a Masters in Public Administration. He is also fluent in Spanish.

Holloway has served in Clearwater for 21 years. He is a graduate of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. and also holds a Masters from the University of Phoenix. Holloway was not in Florida when the mayor and his crew visited the area. Curtatone said he was aware that Holloway was going to be on vacation before he went down. He said it was not critical that Holloway be there, but the two will touch base again before a final decision is made.

Curtatone said he followed a packed agenda while visiting the communities of the out-of-state candidates. He interviewed members of forces and sat down to listen to community activist groups. Also, a look around their work environment and a peek into their current duties really expanded his knowledge of the Florida applicants.

This week, Curtatone planned to give the same sort of attention to the local candidate, looking deeper into Bradley’s handle on the job and seeking input from others who work for or deal with the department.

Just the week before all three candidates participated in a public forum in Somerville, where residents got a chance to meet, greet and ask questions of the police chief hopefuls. Curtatone said he also wanted to get a feel for where each of the possible police leaders is coming from. The best way to do that is to drop in, he said.

“It gives you another perspective,” he said.

As for who will be the mayor’s pick, Curtatone is not offering any hints as to who has caught his eye.

“We are not there yet,” he said.

“We are absolutely closer than we were last week. We’ve got three exceptional candidates to choose from. It is challenging, but it will not be a decision the city struggles with.”