Mandan Police Deputy Chief Dennis Bullinger will be interviewed for the position of police chief, along with a former New York City police officer and a police lieutenant from Illinois.

Bullinger has been the acting police chief in Mandan since former Chief Dennis Rohr's retirement in March.

Bullinger and fellow finalists Nick Basso, of Garwood, N.J., and Christian Jauch Jr., of Peru, Ill., will be interviewed first by an interview committee, then by the Mandan City Commission, on Tuesday at Mandan City Hall, 205 Second Ave. N.W.

The city received 20 applications for the position. A committee narrowed the field to six candidates initially. Mandan Police Lt. Paul Leingang, Robert Circle, of Texas City, Texas, and former New York Police Lt. Ralph DelSardo filled out the group of six earlier finalists.

A review committee narrowed the field of candidates for the position from six to three after the six candidates responded to an 18-question questionnaire.

Bullinger, who has been with the Mandan Police Department since 1973, has been the department's deputy chief since 1986. He has a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Mary.

Bullinger said he's excited to be interviewed on Tuesday.

"We've been waiting for this," he said. "I'm glad it's taken us to this point."

Basso is retired from the New York City Police Department and has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from St. John's University. During 20 years with the department, Basso served as a patrol officer, a sergeant and a lieutenant, and he was the Patrol Borough Staten Island liaison to department headquarters during the World Trade Center disaster.

Jauch has 30 years of law enforcement experience and recently retired from the Peru, Ill., Police Department. Jauch is in the process of completing a bachelor's degree through Governor's State University. He most recently served in the department as a lieutenant shift commander with responsibility for the department's computer network, grant administration and 911 systems. Before 2007, he was an administrative assistant to the chief of police.

An interview committee, consisting of Mayor Ken LaMont, City Commissioner Sandy Tibke, City Administrator Jim Neubauer, Fire Chief Steve Nardello, Police Department Lt. Lori Flaten, Public School Superintendent Wilfred Volesky and former Bismarck city commissioner and holder of the police portfolio, Bryce Hill, will interview the candidates Tuesday morning.

Bullinger will be interviewed at 9 a.m., followed by Basso at 10 a.m. and Jauch at 11 a.m.

The Mandan City Commission will meet in special session to interview the candidates that afternoon.

Basso will be interviewed by the commission at 1 p.m., followed by Jauch at 2 p.m. and Bullinger at 3 p.m.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)