SEQUIM — Former Police Chief Bob Spinks is scheduled to be interviewed along with three other police chief job finalists at the Columbus, Miss., Municipal Complex this afternoon.

Columbus Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong said the interviews for Columbus’ police chief will begin at 4 p.m., the Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported Wednesday.

Spinks by email Wednesday morning confirmed he was leaving Los Angeles International Airport for the Mississippi city.

“There’s an inside candidate, and the hometown guy is always hard to beat,” Spinks said.

“Plus I’m not sure that the city could make an offer that would make sense to move 2,500 miles,” he continued.

“But it should be a fun visit.”

Columbus city officials said all four police chief finalists plan to be interviewed, the Dispatch reported.

Broadcast live

A local cable TV station was to broadcast the event live, which is a provision the Columbus-Lowndes Political Action Committee made when providing up to $3,000 to pay for the candidates’ travel expenses, the newspaper reported.

Armstrong said the city budgeted for $1,000 per out-of-town finalist.

Besides Spinks, the out-of-town candidates are Nathaniel Clark of Albany, Ga., and Curtis Brame of North Chicago, Ill.

The local finalist is Interim Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen.

City Manager Steve Burkett last year asked Spinks to resign as police chief, and Spinks did so after Burkett concluded they lacked chemistry as far as management styles go.

Spinks, 52, who headed the Sequim force for five years, acted as city manager before Burkett joined the city of Sequim in early 2010.

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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.