NORTHAMPTON — After eight months without a permanent police chief, the city is hiring current interim chief and longtime department member John Cartledge to take over the role full time.

Cartledge is replacing former chief Jody Kasper, who left the position at the start of the year to become police chief in Nantucket.

Tuesday’s announcement comes four months after the creation of a seven-member search committee to oversee the hiring process. The city also hired Public Safety Consultants of Boxford to aid in screening candidates.

Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said four people applied to the position, with candidates first screened by the consultants, who narrowed the choice down to two people. The search committee undertook a further review of the remaining candidates, conducting several interviews and role-play exercises. Sciarra said the committee unanimously chose Cartledge as its only finalist for the position, eliminating the opportunity for the public to meet multiple finalist candidates and provide input.

“They didn’t feel like putting both of those candidates forward for interviews with me and then for a community meet-and-greet,” said Sciarra in an interview. “They felt that John was clearly the person they wanted to put forward as a recommendation.”

The mayor declined to name the other finalist for the position.

Sciarra said Northampton was not alone among western Massachusetts communities searching for police chiefs, and that Cartledge’s strength as an internal candidate likely deterred other officers from seeking out the top position in the NPD.

“Some of the people from the area who might have applied did not,” Sciarra said.

City officials said a contract was still being negotiated. The city had advertised the position as having a salary of $150,000 to $170,000. 

Before being named interim chief, Cartledge had served as the Police Department’s captain of administration. A native of Northampton, he graduated from Northampton High School in 1995 before earning a bachelor’s degree at Westfield State University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Capella University, a for-profit school based in Minnesota that provides online instruction.

“It is a great honor to have been selected as the chief of police in my hometown,” Cartledge said in a statement. “I look forward to further partnering with the community and continuing to lead our department with pride and transparency.”

The seven-member search committee that selected Cartledge consists of city’s Human Resources Director Chad Dunham, Health and Human Services Commissioner Merridith O’Leary, City Council President Alex Jarrett, At-Large City Councilor Garrick Perry, Assistant Chancellor and Chief of Police Tyrone Parham of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, along with Northampton residents Allison Pash and Felicia Lundquist.

“We conducted a fair and thorough process to select our next police chief, and I am confident that John Cartledge will continue to serve Northampton with care and distinction,” Sciarra said in a statement.

Sciarra now must formally submit the appointment to the City Council for confirmation. Members of the public will get an opportunity to meet their new chief during a scheduled appearance at the Northampton Senior Center, to be held on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.