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Zephyrhills police chief will be plucked from four
By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer ZEPHYRHILLS -- They came in suits. Blue ones, black ones, gray ones. They wore black shoes, some wing tipped, some oxfords, but all of them polished to a shine. Six men arrived at City Hall on Wednesday seeking the same job -- police chief of Zephyrhills. Four still have a chance. "I was impressed with all of them," said current police Chief Robert Howell, who will retire in late September. Howell sat in a corner of a small conference room for six hours Wednesday, listening intently as a five-member committee grilled the candidates. "All of them are capable and qualified," Howell said. "I certainly have my favorite, but I'm not going to tell you." Each of the high-profile committee members -- from Pasco-Pinellas State Attorney Bernie McCabe to Pasco County sheriff's No. 3 man Richard Worch -- chose his personal favorite. But no man was a unanimous winner. The committee finished its assignment of trimming the original 74 applicants, interviewing six and forwarding four names to City Manager Steve Spina, who will reinterview them and recommend one to the City Council on June 10. They are: Alexander Connolly, 41, a division chief at the Stuart Police Department. Connolly holds a master of public administration degree from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Barry University. He and his wife have a 3-year-old son. He's a self-titled "computer nerd" and listed running and spending time with family as hobbies. He's also a former Boy Scout leader. Jerry Freeman, 52, the No. 3 man in the Hialeah Police Department. Freeman holds an master's degree in management from St. Thomas University in Miami, where he also is an adjunct professor. Freeman is married and has three daughters who attend college, two at Florida State University. He also said he leads a Bible study and is a deacon at his church. Robert W. Jones, 49, a captain in the Clearwater Police Department. Jones hold a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of South Florida. He and his wife have two sons, 11 and 8. Jones said he enjoys golf, camping and scuba diving. But these days, his sons' sports practices take up a lot of his free time. William F. McNeil, 33, a deputy chief in the Casselberry Police Department. McNeil holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Saint Leo University and said he is working on a master's degree at the University of Central Florida. McNeil doesn't have children but says he is attached to his two cocker spaniels. He also said softball and bowling are his hobbies. Howell has said the new chief will face several obstacles, most important a struggle to recruit and retain officers. He said higher pay and the promise of a take-home patrol car often lure candidates away. Howell also said he would like to see his successor work for agency accreditation, which hasn't happened during his tenure. On Wednesday the six candidates were quizzed on those topics and others, from their views on police training to their top three personal priorities. City leaders have said they want a chief with Howell's integrity and stability but also someone who can keep the department moving forward and who won't use the post solely as a springboard to better job offers. "Any one of these guys is probably qualified to be police chief," Worch said Wednesday. "What I'm looking for is the individual who can identify the problems over the next five years and meet those challenges." Spina said he will take his time interviewing the remaning candidates and deciding whom he will recommend to the City Council. It won't be easy. "This is probably one of the biggest choices I'll be making (as city manager)," he said. "I've got some big shoes to fill." -- Brady Dennis covers the city of Zephyrhills and crime in east Pasco. To reach him, call (352) 521-5757, ext. 23, or toll free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6108, then 23. Send e-mail to
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