CAMPAIGN FOR CHIEF STARTS CANDIDATES, BACKERS PREPARE FOR PUSH.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

The official search for Los Angeles' next police chief has yet to begin, but the self-proclaimed job candidates and their supporters are already campaigning unofficially behind the scenes.

Those with their eyes on the job - including current and former Los Angeles Police Department brass - are wooing city leaders, civic groups and police associations, some of which have already decided who they will endorse - and who they will oppose.

Letters of support have begun arriving at the Police Commission's office in Parker Center, and rumors about who's meeting with whom are circulating around City Hall.

Even though decision-making authority on a new chief rests with the Police Commission, Mayor James Hahn and the City Council, that hasn't stopped candidates from grasping for backing from virtually any organization.

``By and large, it's a plus,'' said Democratic political consultant Joe Cerrell. ``Or, to put it another way, I'd rather have it than not.''

The Police Commission has just begun soliciting opinions from the public through community meetings on the criteria for the next police chief, and the city Personnel Department has yet to hire a headhunter firm to conduct the official search for job candidates.

It was only on Friday that the Personnel Department said it has selected a firm - Bob Murray and Associates, based in Sacramento - and expects to negotiate terms of a contract by the end of this week.

The job became open when Chief Bernard C Parks retired May 4 after the Police Commission denied his bid for a second five-year term.

So far, about a half-dozen people have said they expect to apply for the position: LAPD Deputy Chiefs David Gascon, Margaret York and David Kalish; LAPD Cmdrs. George Gascon (no relation to David) and Jim McDonnell; and former LAPD Deputy Chiefs Mark Kroeker, now police chief in Portland, Ore., and Art Lopez, police chief in Oxnard.

Both Kroeker and Lopez have formally announced they want to succeed Parks.

Some of the police employee associations have said they will back someone.

``We will endorse a candidate,'' said LAPD Detective Art Placencia, president of the Latin American Law Enforcement Association. But he said the group, which goes by the nickname La Ley, will not endorse anyone until the search process gets under way and the field is narrowed down.

In the meantime, Placencia said, the group has talked to some of the candidates but ``we have not endorsed any one person.''

``But what we do endorse is for the Los Angeles Police Commission and the mayor to give Latino candidates a fair, fair shot.''

To urge them along, La Ley is working to create a coalition of Latino civic and political associations to put pressure on the police comissioners and the mayor to consider a Latino.

The Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation, which represents African-American LAPD officers, isn't waiting for the finalists to be announced.

Last week, the association announced it is endorsing, and plans to actively campaign for, George Gascon - and to actively fight Kroeker.

Kroeker, who many see as one of the top candidates for the job, was not available for comment.

``Kroeker would be the worst thing ever to happen to the Los Angeles Police Department,'' said Sgt. Ronnie Cato, president of the foundation, who accused Kroeker of being insensitive to diversity, based on complaints dating back to the years when Kroeker was in charge of the LAPD's South Bureau.

Observers of the process said securing the support of police officers, civic organizations and community members might be nice, but that doesn't necessarily give anyone a leg up in the hiring process.

Edith Perez, a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles, was on the Police Commission five years ago when Parks got the job over Kroeker. She said the piles of letters of support and numerous phone calls that streamed in for the applicants were interesting, but didn't sway the commissioners.

``We listened to it,'' Perez said. ``But the bottom line is, we looked very hard at track records of the candidates and what their plans were for the future.''

In fact, she said, Kroeker's supporters actually overwhelmed the five- member appointed commission with their letters and calls - even one from film director Steven Spielberg - many of which had nothing to do with his experience on the job.

Kroeker was the commission's second choice for the job.

So why would the interested candidates bother?

``I think to them, it might feel like a campaign,'' Perez said. ``They probably like to show that, relative to other candidates, I'm really well liked. I'm really popular.''

Some groups, like the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League, are not planning to jump into the fray.

Bob Baker, vice president of the union that represents about 8,700 LAPD officers from lieutenant on down, said that the PPL's board is not meeting with any of the people seeking the chief's job.

``This board has really taken the position that it's not our responsibility to select the chief and that they will work with whoever is selected,'' Baker said.

LAPD Capt. James Tatreau, president of the Commanding Officers Association, said members have decided against taking a stand, not wanting to alienate any fellow members, many of whom said they will apply for the job.

The association of the Asian-American police officers generally doesn't get involved with endorsements, either. But that hasn't stopped the group's president, Sgt. Danny Wong, from lobbying for his pick, Cmdr. McDonnell.

LAPD representatives of the association for gay and lesbian police officers, the Golden State Peace Officers Association, have met with a number of the candidates, but the group probably won't throw its support in any direction.

``As a general rule, we don't endorse anyone,'' said Officer Stacey Simmons, who is the LAPD liaison for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered officers.

However, the group might drop a note to the police commissioners if they particularly like one or more of the job applicants.

``We're fine with sending letters of support,'' Simmons said.

Even community members have begun to weigh in on their picks.

``We have received letters of support for Mark Kroeker and Art Lopez - most are for Kroeker,'' said Tammy Catania, the Police Commission staffer who has been logging the correspondence from community members that started trickling in two weeks ago. ``They are calling, too.''

By every account, the search process has a long way to go until the Police Commission narrows down the field to three finalists to take to Mayor James Hahn and the City Council for final approval, which might not happen until October.

Meanwhile, many people are reluctant to get involved in betting on who it will be.

``We hear a lot rumors,'' Baker said. ``Rumors are rumors, and I want to see what horses are in the race.''