The Capitol Police Board is making progress in its search for a new Capitol Police chief and will likely wrap up the first round of interviews by the end of September.

House Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Kerri Hanley told Roll Call that more than 50 people applied for the job, including internal candidates and outside contenders from around the country.

She would not say how many will be interviewed or how much the second round of interviews might narrow the field.

But Hanley expressed confidence that the process, which began less than two months ago, is on schedule.

The Police Executive Research Forum was hired July 11 to assist the Capitol Police Board — composed of the House and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms and the Architect of the Capitol — in selecting a new chief. Shortly thereafter, PERF advertised the job, giving candidates until Aug. 17 to send in their résumés, cover letters and five references.

According to House Sergeant-at-Arms and Police Board Chairman Paul Irving, the terms of the contract gave PERF 120 days to wrap things up, taking the search just past Election Day.

The last Capitol Police chief search was conducted a little more than five years ago, when Phillip Morse was promoted from within the ranks to lead the agency. Morse resigned in June after his half-decade tenure to take a position with American University’s security office.