Nickels: Interim chief likely if Kerlikowske leaves

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said Wednesday that he would move quickly to appoint an interim police chief if Chief Gil Kerlikowske leaves to become "drug czar" in the Obama administration.

Nickels wouldn't confirm news reports that Kerlikowske has accepted the post of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, saying that information would have to come from the Obama administration.

The White House wouldn't comment Wednesday, but a Washington, D.C., source with knowledge of the administration's plan confirmed that Kerlikowske has accepted the post.

Others sources said they expected Kerlikowske to leave for the job, a Cabinet-level position that requires Senate confirmation. The office, established in 1988, directs drug-control policy in the U.S.

Kerlikowske, 59, who became police chief in 2000, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

On Tuesday, after sources told The Seattle Times Kerlikowske had informed his top commanders he planned to leave for a federal post, the chief declined to comment on his plans.

Nickels declined to say whether he had spoken recently with the chief. However, he did have praise for Kerlikowske.

"Seattle has the lowest crime rate it has had in over 40 years," the mayor said. "That is due at least in part to work Chief Kerlikowske has done."

Nickels said he has not considered who would replace the chief since he is not aware that there will be a vacancy.

But when asked the likely course of action should the chief leave, he said, "it would be important that we have a strong interim chief quickly and then we take our time and look at a permanent selection so we make sure we make the right choice."

Nickels could pick an insider as acting chief, an outsider, or someone with ties to the department who no longer works there. Before Kerlikowske was hired, former assistant Seattle Chief Herb Johnson served as interim chief after the departure of Norm Stamper in 1999.

Nickels is unlikely to pick a permanent replacement until after this year's mayoral election to avoid controversy that can occur during the selection process, one City Hall source said.

Tim Burgess, chair of the City Council committee that oversees public-safety matters, declined to comment on the selection of an interim chief, citing ongoing discussions among city officials, and said it is too early to talk about finding a permanent chief.

He said if Kerlikowske is leaving for the drug-czar post, it represents a great opportunity for the chief and would bring a "reasoned, articulate voice" to drug-enforcement questions.

Councilmember Bruce Harrell, vice chair of committee, said he would prefer an interim chief from within the department.

"There's a lot of talent at the top that I think can meet our immediate needs, so I would support having a temporary person in that position from within the ranks," Harrell said.

If a search begins for a permanent chief, there should be significant community participation as there was when Kerlikowske was hired, he said.

Seattle hasn't had a permanent chief from within the department's ranks since the 1970s. In 1979, the hiring of Patrick Fitzsimons of New York City ushered in an era of outside choices.

The public became increasingly involved in the process by the time Stamper was chosen in 1993 by then-mayor Norm Rice.

Stamper's selection came after a six-month search that involved a committee drawn from community leaders. Similarly, a 22-member citizens committee played a key role in Kerlikowske's selection by then-mayor Paul Schell.

Councilmember Nick Licata, who serves on the public-safety committee, said he would like to see someone from inside the department given serious consideration for both the interim and permanent jobs if Kerlikowske were to leave.

"We've got some good people in the department, ... " Licata said.

Whatever Nickels does, he has a good record of choosing insiders and outsiders for top city jobs, Licata said.

One possibility would be to give the interim selection a chance to win the job, he said.

This story contains information from Seattle Times archives.

Steve Miletich: 206-464-3302 or smiletich@seattletimes.com