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Joseph Loughlin

PORTLAND — The city's interim chief of police has withdrawn his application from the list of finalists for the permanent job, City Manager Joseph Gray said Thursday.

Gray said Joseph Loughlin told him that he will remain with the Portland Police Department during the transition period, but Gray said it is unclear whether Loughlin then will continue as deputy chief or retire to pursue other options.

"The recent death of my close friends Mary McClaran (the department's finance director) and, of course, Sgt. Rick Betters really made me re-evaluate life and this position," Loughlin told the Portland Press Herald. "I don't think I could commit to the number of years the city requires."

Gray said he plans to move foward with the selection of a new police chief, but he declined to say how many finalists are left or who they are.

Loughlin said he was one of three finalists for the post, which became vacant in August after Tim Burton took a job in Texas.

Gray said he expects to present his recommendation to the City Council for approval within three to four weeks.

"Joe Loughlin has provided tremendous leadership to this department. He has worked around the clock on its behalf and tackled a number of very difficult issues," Gray said.

The department "is like a family to me. I'm deeply concerned about its future," Loughlin said.

"It's a very demanding job. If there is a guy who cares too much, it would be Joe Loughlin. It consumes your life. I'd like to see what a normal life is."

Loughlin said the death of his friends made him realize that if he wanted to write a book, travel or teach, he could not invest the next five or six years of his life in being Portland's police chief.

Loughlin has been a member of the department for 27 years.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com