CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Police Board has released an update on the search for a new police superintendent, saying it's taking longer than originally planned.

The board planned to release the names of the three finalists for superintendent by the end of February, but board president Lori Lightfoot says finding the right candidate is more important than a strict deadline.

"Our goal is to find the best candidates that we believe can do the job," Lightfoot says. "That's really been our guiding principle all along."

It's a nationwide search with an emphasis on local policing.

"We also want somebody who understands and embraces the importance of engaging the community not as a kind of standalone issue but really in a way that informs all aspects of the policing strategy," Lightfoot says. "I think it's critically important given the times that we're in in Chicago."

The board is not releasing names of candidates, though former Baltimore officer and Black Lives Matter activist Michael Wood says he applied for the job.

The Chicago Police Board will eventually name three finalists and give those candidates to Mayor Rahm Emanuel who will make a decision.