Sometime this week or next, Mayor John M. Fabrizi will select one of three finalists as the city's next police chief.

It will be a defining moment in Fabrizi's tenure as mayor, and a milestone for the city, which has been without a permanent chief since Wilbur Chapman left abruptly in January 2005.

The choice is not an easy one, and the top candidates, after the months-long battery of tests and background scrutiny, say they are ready to take on the challenge of being the top law-enforcement official in the state's largest city.

In separate interviews with the Connecticut Post, the three finalists talked about their qualifications, their opinions about law enforcement in Bridgeport and why they should lead the city's police force. Following are summaries of those interviews:

l Waterbury Police Chief Neil O'Leary

O'Leary, the top scorer on tests administered for the job, is a veteran officer who has served the Waterbury department for the past 26 years and rose through the ranks to the top job. His chief's salary is $109,000 a year.

He is 47 years old, unmarried and the father of two children.

O'Leary, who said he would live in Bridgeport if he becomes chief, also committed to serving two five-year terms, the most allowed for a police or fire chief under the city charter.

O'Leary said he has done "extensive research" on the city, and believes Bridgeport's police department needs "strong leadership."

"I've been a policeman my whole life. I understand what it takes to lead officers and be a strong manager. That's probably what they need the most. It's an excellent department and I'm very impressed," he said.

Asked about challenges facing the department, O'Leary said a stronger relationship with the community is the first priority.

"It's crucial to have a strong relationship between the department and the community it serves, and the police commission as well," O'Leary said.

"There are certain structural and systematic hurdles that need to be changed to reflect modern policing. The next chief clearly needs to try to get the department moving to forge stronger ties with the community," he said.

The Waterbury chief pledged to be visible in the community, attending civic meetings and events, and reaching out to diverse groups.

"Community policing is more than having a unit of officers. It means attending meetings, going into school buildings, meeting with community leaders and being accessible to the people," O'Leary said.

He also proposed a work load analysis to see where personnel are deployed and where changes should be made, with an eye on cutting back police overtime. l New Haven Assistant Chief Bryan Norwood

Norwood, 39 and unmarried, has worked for the New Haven Police Department since 1989, rising through the ranks to assistant chief.

He was born in Bridgeport, and lived for years off Reservoir Avenue, and attended high school in Monroe.

"This would be kind of a homecoming for me. I spent a lot of time in Bridgeport as a young person. Now I'd like to be able to give back," he said.

Norwood pledged to live in the city if he becomes chief, and would like to serve the maximum 10 years as chief.

He said his youth, commitment to community policing and ties to the city are among his strongest assets.

"We talked a lot about my youth and energy as an asset," Norwood said of his recent interview with Fabrizi.

"I see a department that is doing quite well. I can bring a different deployment strategy, and a commitment to community policing. I'm a young man in the scheme of things. But as chief, I want to be part of the community. I would make it my residence so I am part of the community," Norwood said.

He said a chief should be visible, and a regular presence at youth events, churches and other community meetings and civic events.

Norwood said his experience in New Haven would benefit him as Bridgeport's chief. "We use different strategies to mitigate crime, a better use of crime analysis and smarter policing," he said.

He also pledged to continue Bridgeport's community policing efforts.

"Everyone has their own way of doing it. It's based on the broken windows theory, quality-of-life issues. You bring an area up to a place where people want to reside. There has to be a transparency in the department so people believe they have a stake," he said. l Hartford Deputy Chief Jose Lopez

Lopez, 51, is married and the father of three children. He has worked in the Hartford department for 22 years, and his wife is a retired Hartford police officer.

Lopez, like the other two top candidates, pledged to live in Bridgeport and would like to serve as chief the two five-year terms allowed, if asked.

Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lopez said he learned the tough realities of inner-city life.

"We slept in the middle room because it didn't have windows. It got so bad that people were shooting at each other, and when the police arrived, they started shooting at them," he said.

"Hartford and Bridgeport are similar in the issues that exist. It's not the people, it's the problem of poverty," he said.

Lopez cited his management skills, upbringing and wide range of experience as his greatest strengths.

"It's my ability to see law-enforcement needs, to allow officers to be safe and efficient. I have not forgotten who I was before I became a police officer," he said.

Lopez said he envisions "police and the community working in equal harmony. It involves addressing quality of life issues and realistic expectations on both sides. It's a full-body embrace.

"Bridgeport is not much different than Hartford. I'm in a position to use my experiences from Hartford. I'm not looking to change Bridgeport. A lot of what is being done here is being done there. It's a professional police force," he said.

Lopez pledged to be accessible and visible in the community. "If I sent someone else, it does not send the message that the organization is committed," he said.

Lopez said he would review the city's strategy of officer deployment, indicating he's aware of concerns the department spends too much on overtime.