FAIRHOPE, Alabama--The City Council selected Joe Petties Tuesday night as the city's police chief for the next four years. 

Chief Petties has served in an interim capacity since former Chief Bill Press resigned last September following the municipal election when a new majority on the council was elected, which was not expected to reappoint him.

Petties is a former captain with the Fairhope Police Department, who grew up in Fairhope. 

Petties was selected over Chickasaw Police Chief Mike Reynolds; Joe Bettner, a former U.S. Customs agent now working with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office; and Stan Stabler, with the Alabama Department of Public Safety in Mobile assigned to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

See the Feb. 8 issue of The Courier for additional coverage of this story.