Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police in Bermuda.

Four candidates are in for the top two jobs, which are set to be given on three year contracts, with a further three years an option under mutual agreement.

The Royal Gazette understands that Deputy Governor Tim Gurney, Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay, Director of Personnel Services Judith Hall-Bean and Labour and Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Robert Haughton will conduct the interviews.

The interviews are expected to be split up into different sections and are likely to take more than a day.

An announcement is then expected to be made about who will take over the top ranking roles before Christmas.

Mr. Gurney refused to say when the interviews were being held, but said they were not likely to be conducted at Government House and said that the interview board was only looking to appoint a Commissioner and Deputy, not an assistant.

He said: "The wheels are in motion. The process is in hand for appointing a new Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

"Interviews are expected to take place shortly with the plan that the Governor can hopefully make an announcement before he goes away for Christmas.

"The contract is going to be three plus three years, the same as the contract for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Khamisi Tokunbo.

"It is for three years, with a mutual agreement for a further three years.'' He would not comment on how many candidates were in for the posts, or who they were.

But there are no outside candidates for the job, only four internal candidates.

Interviews for top cop Gertrude Barker is a born black Bermudian, Jonathan Smith is a born white Bermudian, George Jackson is a status Bermudian from the Caribbean and Vic Richmond is a status Bermudian from Scotland.

It is expected to be a hard-fought battle for the chief's post, but Ms Barker and Mr. Smith are so far believed to be the front-runners.

Each of the candidates are currently superintendents, but have been rotating in acting roles as deputy and assistant commissioner for some months in preparation of Mr. Lemay's departure in April.

Once the senior rank promotions are complete by the end of the year, the process for filling the position of assistant commissioner will then begin.

But once the senior rank promotions are carried out, it is expected that there will then be three vacant Superintendent positions available.

The chief inspectors thought to be in the running for those posts are Norman Ingemann, Steve Shaw, Derek Smith, Larry Smith, Vendall Bridgeman, Carlton Adams, Sinclair White and Roseanda Jones.

However, interviews will be conducted internally for those ranks by the Commissioner.

Mountie Mr. Lemay was appointed Commissioner in 1998 by Governor Thorold Masefield.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police gave its blessing to an extension to Mr.

Lemay's original 18-month stint on the Island to allow him to take over the top job.

But it was promised at the time that a special interview and training scheme to identify Bermudian officers capable of filling the top posts would continue.

The appointment of Mr. Lemay followed six months of uncertainty in Bermuda after former Commissioner Colin Coxall quit his post early.

Permanent Secretary Mr. Haughton declined to comment about the imminent interviews yesterday.