CHIEF INTERVIEWS TO EXPLORE NEW GROUND.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

When the three finalists vying to become Los Angeles' next police chief meet with Mayor Richard Riordan for their final interviews today, they will be asked all the usual things about management, efficiency and accountability.

But, Riordan says he's curious about other things, too. Like, what do you do for fun?

``You learn an awful lot about a person that way,'' Riordan said Wednesday. ``Sometimes more than you want to know.''

The answers given by two LAPD insiders - Deputy Chiefs Bernard Parks and Mark Kroeker - and Sacramento Police Chief Arturo Venegas Jr. will determine which of the men is selected as the 52nd person to head the Los Angeles Police Department.

The interviews have been scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Riordan's new offices on the eighth floor of City Hall East.

Several members of Riordan's staff will be included in the sessions, as will City Council President John Ferraro and Councilwoman Laura Chick, who chairs the council's Public Safety Committee.

Riordan said he expects to explore all the major issues with the three finalists, as well as his pet concern of transferring power and accountability to the field level.

``We need someone who is a strong manager, who puts power at the station level, and has the commitment of will to hold people accountable for field interviews, arrests,'' Riordan said.

The interviews with Parks and Kroeker will be more on specifics about how they would manage the department because he knows them so well, Riordan said.

But, with Venegas, the questioning could go much longer because he has not had any dealings with him, Riordan said.

Chick is concerned about many of the overarching issues, but also wants to hear from the candidates on their vision for the department, both in dealing with immediate problems and where the LAPD should be going in the future.

Those outside of government, however, have other issues that concern them and they want to see addressed.

``I think the critical question is whether this chief is going to become part of the community,'' said Richard Close of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association. ``Chief (Willie) Williams did that and he earned a lot of public support.

``It's great to have the technical skills, the management skills and loyalty of the officers, but I'd like to see the next chief have the skills of working with the community to continue to build on the level of confidence the public now has with the department.''

Joel Fox of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is looking for creative ideas on being more efficient.

``The one thing I'd be interested in is looking for ideas to use more volunteers,'' Fox said. ``San Diego and other cities have volunteers that do almost all the paperwork for their departments. Other cities are much more evolved in using volunteers.''

To Steve Lew, vice chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, the question he has is about plans for deployment of officers and community involvement.

``What would be the ratio of on-duty officers in police cars assigned to the Valley as opposed to the balance of the city,'' Lew said he considers an important question. ``Also, will there be a continuation of community-based policing, and would you personally become acquainted with San Fernando Valley leadership groups?''

Attorney Steve Yagman, who has filed numerous suits against the LAPD over its policies, said he has no questions to be asked the candidates.

``There's no point in asking any questions at all because there is no question that Bernard Parks is going to be selected, no matter what questions are asked,'' Yagman said. ``Asking questions of the candidates is the equivalent of asking Pontius Pilate if his hands were dirty before he washed them.''

Sources have said Riordan favors Parks for the job, and the Police Commission ranked the 32-year LAPD veteran above the others in submitting the finalists' names to the mayor.

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PHOTO Deputy Chief Bernard Parks is accompanied by Mayor Richard Riordan at the Newton station Wednesday.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News