by Barbara Whitaker, New York Times
LOS ANGELES — The city’s police commission recommended three finalists today for the job of police chief, all from outside the department.
The finalists, announced in alphabetical order, were William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of New York City; Art Lopez, police chief of Oxnard, Calif.; and John F. Timoney, former Philadelphia police commissioner. The names go to Mayor James K. Hahn, who can select a chief from the list or ask the commission for a new slate of candidates.
“I’m confident the next chief is on this list,” Mayor Hahn said at a news conference after the commission’s announcement.
Chief Lopez is the only candidate to have served in the Los Angeles Police Department. He held several positions, including heading training efforts, overseeing the Hollywood vice squad and serving as Watts field commander during the 1992 riots.
Mr. Bratton, who openly campaigned for the Los Angeles job, has headed the Boston Police Department and the New York City transit police. He is perhaps best known for his work on the New York Police Department under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. In his tenure, crime plummeted, but his high profile and outspoken nature led to a rift with the mayor. Mr. Timoney served as first deputy for much of the tenure of Mr. Bratton, who relied at times on Mr. Timoney’s veteran understanding of the department.
Mr. Timoney resigned in 1996 when Mr. Giuliani chose Fire Commissioner Howard Safir to replace Mr. Bratton as police commissioner. Mr. Bratton later became an adviser to Mayor Edward G. Rendell of Philadelphia and is said by City Hall aides to have been instrumental in having Mr. Timoney hired as police commissioner there.
Asked about the lack of current Los Angeles leadership among the finalists — six senior officers had been among the 13 candidates being reviewed — Mayor Hahn said, “I don’t think it’s at all a slap at the L.A.P.D.”
Rick Caruso, head of the police commission, also said the absence of department veterans on the final list was not meant as a message.
“There’s an enormous amount of respect by this commission of the people within the L.A.P.D.,” Mr. Caruso said, adding that the commission would expect the new chief to embrace those leaders.
“Our job was to pick the three we felt were best to serve the city,” he said, “and that is what we have done.”
The search for a new chief began last spring after Mayor Hahn refused to back Chief Bernard C. Parks in his bid for a second five-year term. Among Mayor Hahn’s concerns were rising crime rates over the last three years. In addition, the city has 1,100 openings on the police force and has had difficulty recruiting and retaining officers.
Working from selection criteria developed by a citizens’ committee, members of the Los Angeles Police Commission said they were looking for a chief who could navigate the political terrain to overhaul and revitalize the 8,800-member department. The new chief will also have to carry out the reforms in a consent decree between the city and the federal Department of Justice.
“I am really looking for someone that has the best vision to lead this department,” said Mr. Hahn, who will begin meeting with candidates on Monday.