The search appears to be over.

The long vacated chief of police position for the Bridge City Police Department looks to be filled in early February as City Manager Jerry Jones announced Thursday a finalist has been selected.

According to Jones, the chief of police position has been offered to Maj. Paul T. Davis of the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin. He will take over effective Feb. 1.

“We feel we are extremely fortunate to have someone with Major Davis’ credentials,” Jones said late Thursday. “We think he is a good fit for the job, and we look forward to working with him.”

Davis is a Bridge City native and graduate of Bridge City High School. He and his family, which includes his wife, Kim, and two children, have a home in Bridge City.

The Bridge City Police Department has been without an official chief of police since the sudden retirement of Steve Faircloth in mid-August. Maj. Joey Hargrave has served as the interim chief of police since that time.

In a previous interview with Jones, he stated a total of 42 applications had been submitted for chief of police opening. However, the task of finding a police chief was placed on hold because of Hurricane Ike and the amount of damage Bridge City sustained.

Jones briefed council members on the status of the position and his progress on Tuesday night. As city manager, the task of finding a permanent chief of police fell to Jones.

tmann@orangeleader.com