Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine is no longer in the running for a police chief position in a St. Louis, Mo., suburb as of Wednesday.

“You can consider it confirmed that I am no longer in the St. Charles process and that I will be staying in Iowa City,” Hargadine wrote in an email.

Hargadine was in St. Charles about a month ago for an interview, but at the time, he said no job offer had been made. He currently has family in the Jefferson City and St. Louis areas.

Bloomington, Ill., Police Chief Randall McKinley overtook Hargadine for the position, which has been vacant since April.

Beginning his career at the age of 18, Hargadine has spent 30 years in police work, 20 of which were with Columbia police before retiring as captain. During a previous interview with The Daily Iowan, he called his August 2005 move to Iowa City a perfect opportunity that came along at the time. His current annual salary is $139,610.

Hargadine’s career in Iowa City has reached beyond the city’s limits, including assisting Cedar Rapids and Burlington in their police-chief searches.

— by Quentin Misiag