Last week, Smithfield Town Manager Eric Williams announced the hiring of Michael Scott, assistant police chief in the town of Muscatine, Iowa. Scott will take over from interim police chief Bruce Gentry on Oct. 26. His first-year salary will be $76,960. Retired chief Steve Gilliken was making $90,950 when he left the post.

"I am extraordinarily pleased to make this appointment and have the utmost confidence in the new chief's ability to develop the Smithfield Police Department," Williams said. "Overall, he was the top-rated candidate and that squared with my own assessment."

Williams said Scott did well in an assessment in which a consulting firm put the finalists through tests on leadership and other skills in real-world scenarios.

Scott has been with the Muscatine Police Department since 1984.

Muscatine is a town in central Iowa with a population of 23,000.

Scott said he decided to apply for the Smithfield post because it met his criteria for a place to move to.

"It just seemed like an ideal fit for us," he said. "I'm looking forward to the challenges in coming to a new department."

Scott said he thinks it's important for a police chief to run his department following the priorities of the town council and residents. "The chief's role is to have vision and direction," he said. "I think the most important thing is communication."

Scott's wife, Peggy, runs a sewing and drapery business in Muscatine and plans to move it to Smithfield. Their hobbies include biking, traveling and jet skiing.

Williams said the town did not have as many qualified in-state applicants as he'd hoped. He noted that Garner's finalists for police chief are largely from other states.

Scott said he plans to take classes on North Carolina law, but he noted that most states have similar law codes and that moving to a new state won't pose a challenge to him as chief.