CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Many people met the three finalists for Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s next police chief Tuesday night.

Atlanta Assistant Chief Alan Dreher, Richmond chief Rodney Monroe, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Deputy Chief Jerry Sennett took part in a public forum at the Blake Hotel in Uptown Charlotte.

Dozens of concerned citizens turned out Tuesday night. Tariq Bokhari said, "We all get to see what each of these candidates is all about individually. Where crime falls in their priority list."

Sennett talked about why the city should promote from within instead of hiring fresh blood. He said, "I think that I'm ready to bring energy to this police department and make us better. But I don't think we're broke and I think it's time for an insider to lead this agency."

Monroe talked about the federal investigation going on now involving his time in Macon, Ga., and whether his department misused hundreds of thousands of grant dollars. He said, "I believe that members of the department as well as myself administered that grant along the lines that we believe that the grant was set up to do."

Dreher said he was too quick to defend officers who took part in the shooting death of a senior citizen. He said he based his reaction on their sworn statements and should not have. He said, "On its face, it was legitimate. It turned it wasn't, so that was a lesson that I learned."

Charlotte city manager Curt Walton plans to pick the next police chief by June 1.