PANEL DELAYS HUNT FOR INTERIM CHIEF : POLICE COMMISSION CONCERNED OVER WILLIAMS' DEPARTURE DATE.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Faced with criticism from City Council members and uncertainty about when Chief Willie L. Williams will step down, the Police Commission announced Friday it has postponed interviews with candidates for interim chief.

``We want to deliberate further about the process. We want to at least look at that (concern),'' said Commission President Ray Fisher.

In a letter to Mayor Richard Riordan and Council President John Ferraro, Fisher said the Police Commission will go ahead with its plan to meet Tuesday with Personnel Department officials to begin the national search for a more permanent replacement to head the Los Angeles Police Department.

The commission voted March 10 not to give Williams a second, five-year term when his current term expires July 6. Riordan has said he will try to negotiate a deal to have Williams step down before then.

The commission had announced that it would interview four command officers next Tuesday so the panel could identify an interim chief so a candidate would be ready to step in if Williams left early.

On the short list of prospective interviewees were Assistant Chief Bayan Lewis and Deputy Chiefs Mark Kroeker, Bernard Parks and Martin Pomeroy.

Despite Williams' threat to sue, the City Council voted Wednesday to have the chief continue to serve until July 6, unless the Police Commission or Riordan can come up with an alternative for his earlier departure.

In the letter to Riordan and Council President John Ferraro on Friday, Fisher said that in light of the council motion, the commission ``needs to consider its process further and to get additional input from Chief Williams.''

The commission had come under criticism from City Council members and an attorney for the chief, who said the interviews were premature and could undermine the chief.

``It only furthers the impression that the commission has such disregard for the chief that they are not only not renewing his contract but are shoving it in his face while he's still here that he's of no value,'' said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Williams did not return calls for comment. Peter Ostroff, his attorney, said the commission decision to interview interim chief candidates is premature.

``We have a chief,'' Ostroff said. ``The chief is trying to do his job, and it does tend to undermine him.''

Fisher was taken aback by the criticism.``Chief Williams is the one that urged us from the day of our first meeting with him to move expeditiously to identify an interim chief,'' Fisher said.