AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Department Interim Chief Joseph Chacon wants to be the permanent chief.

KXAN confirmed his application Wednesday morning. The deadline to apply for the Austin Police Department chief was Monday.

Chacon, a former assistant chief with APD, was named the interim chief in March following the retirement of previous Chief Brian Manley. City Manager Spencer Cronk said he wanted to find a permanent chief “in short order,” and that officials will make a hire by August.

Cronk said community engagement will be “at every level” of the search, and that is part of rebuilding trust within the community. Last year, Austin City Council voted to move $150 million away from the department in an effort to “reimagine public safety,” and Cronk said one of the biggest qualities he’s looking for in a new chief is an openness to change and a willingness to implement it.

“That is one of the most critical factors in this search process,” he said.

In May, public comment began on the search via a series of virtual community meetings. Ralph Anderson and Associates, a consulting firm the city hired to help recruit for and facilitate the search, headed those meetings.

The city received nearly 40 applications for the top police job in Austin, and Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano said they’ll be screened by the consulting firm and the finalists will be brought to town in late July.