On Jan. 14, Marlon C. Lynch, chief safety officer of the University of Utah was announced as the first finalist. The second finalist, Joseph A. LeMire, was announced on Jan. 15. LeMire previously served as chief of police of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. David J. Zambri, deputy chief of police at the University of Central Florida, was announced on Jan. 19 as the third finalist.

Emily Guerrant, MSU's vice president and spokesperson said in an email to The State News that the search focused on finding the following criteria and areas of experience in candidates:

• Reporting to the president of MSU and serves as an active member of the president’s leadership team.
• Heading the MSUPD and being responsible for overall planning, development and implementation of public safety and law enforcement at MSU .
• Ensuring appropriate programs are in place to meet the compliance needs of the university with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and ordinances .
• Ensuring the police department works collaboratively with the Title IX Office and campus units that provide support services to victims of relationship violence and sexual misconduct and that department staff are well trained in trauma responses.
• Overseeing critical campus concerns like catastrophic events, major security issues and emergency situations.

Alan Haller, deputy athletic director and search committee chair, said, “Our search for a new police chief has been very extensive. The caliber of candidates has been very strong -- national candidates with extensive experience in crisis situations, public safety priorities for college campuses and the ability to lead a large, diverse team. I’m pleased with the top three candidates that did virtual visits with our MSU community and feel confident we will secure a top-notch professional for our new chief of police.”

It has not yet been announced who will serve in the position.