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27 men apply for the state's top police job

Veteran Pinellas County Sheriff Everett Rice, who holds a law degree, has not formally applied.

TALLAHASSEE - Twenty-seven men are seeking Florida's top law enforcement job, but Pinellas County Sheriff Everett Rice is not among them.

Gov. Jeb Bush asked those interested in the job to file an application by 5 p.m. Monday, but a spokesman for the governor said there is no deadline to apply.

A handful of people have e-mailed and written the governor urging him to appoint Rice, a veteran sheriff with a law degree who does not plan to run for re-election next year. Rice has yet to apply.

Contacted Monday night, Rice said he has "expressed some interest in the job, but I'm pretty happy where I'm at."

Rice said he didn't formally apply and doesn't know what the governor plans to do.

One other sheriff did apply, Philip Williams of Brevard County. The job also drew applications from Sarasota police Chief Gordon R. Jolly and North Miami Beach police Chief William B. Berger.

Will Pruitt, brother of state Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, also applied. He runs an organization that finds missing children.

Sen. Pruitt said he was surprised to hear that his brother applied.

"If the consideration is based on how Jeb feels about me, he'll be 27 out of 27," Sen. Pruitt said.

Other applicants include current and former FBI and Secret Service agents, a number of out-of-state law enforcement officials, and Daryl McLaughlin, who was appointed to serve as interim director after James T. "Tim" Moore leaves next week.

Moore resigned the job he's held since 1988 to join a lobbying firm in Tallahassee.