Panel Unveils Timeline for Picking Police Chief

As the Los Angeles City Council declined Wednesday to reconsider its highly charged vote to give departing Police Chief Willie L. Williams a $375,000 severance package, the Police Commission unveiled an ambitious schedule for presenting to the mayor a final list of candidates to fill the chief’s job by the end of July.

City and Police Department officials said the two developments should allow the search for a new police chief to proceed in earnest.

Wednesday was the last day for any council member to request a new vote on William’s package, which was approved by an 8-7 vote Tuesday. The only matter on Wednesday’s agenda regarding Williams, a motion to fund the severance package, was postponed by Council President John Ferraro, who said it would be rescheduled for a later date.

Councilman Nate Holden, the most vocal supporter of Williams on the council, continued to argue that the vote was improper because he was counted as a “yes” vote by simply walking into the council chambers.

Nonetheless, Holden said he would not challenge the vote or ask for a reconsideration because Williams had already accepted the package.

“It would be a waste of time now,” he said. “The chief accepted it.”

While the issue of Williams’ severance package was being settled, the Police Commission pressed forward on the nationwide search for the chief’s replacement, announcing a timeline for the selection process.

“We are looking at an open and competitive process to identify candidates who best serve the needs of the department over the next five years,” Commission President Raymond C. Fisher said. “The candidates will be judged on their merits, experience and vision of the Los Angeles Police Department as we move toward the 21st century.”

Under the commission’s timeline, criteria for the chief’s job will be released May 9, applications will be accepted until June 12, candidates will be screened and interviewed during the next two weeks, and the commission will present a list of the top three candidates to Mayor Richard Riordan on July 29.

The mayor will select a candidate who must be approved by a minimum of eight votes on the City Council.

The commission will hold a series of community meetings across the city to seek the public’s opinion on key law enforcement issues.

The commission plans to appoint an interim chief by next week to handle department operations until a permanent chief is selected. Candidates for the interim job include Assistant Chief Bayan Lewis and Deputy Chiefs David Gascon, Mark Kroeker, Bernard Parks and Martin Pomeroy.

Gascon, Parks and Kroeker also are candidates for the permanent position.

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The Search for a New Chief

Here is the police Commission’s timeline for its search for a new Los Angeles Police Chief:

May 9: Criteria for position of chief of police to be released.

May 13: Membership of a screening committee, which will identify candidates to be interviewed, established. The committee will include prominent individuals and reflect the city’s ethnic diversity.

June 12: Nationwide search and application filing period ends.

July 18: Screening committee and city Personal Department identify at least six highly qualified candidates.

July 25: Board of Police Commissioners completes interview.

July 29: Board presents top three candidates to Mayor Richard Riordan, who will then select a candidate to forward to the City Council for approval by at least eight members.