Search in High Gear for Interim Fla. Police Chief

April 4, 2012

Officials have reached out to former Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard and former Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton to advise them during the selection process.

WASHINGTON -- Officials leading the search for an interim chief of the Sanford, Fla., Police Department, whose handling of the Trayvon Martin killing has been called into question, have reached out to former Chicago Police superintendent Terry Hillard and former Los Angeles Police chief William Bratton to advise them during the selection process.

The two former police officials and others have been consulted because of their experience handling racially-charged issues during their tenures in some of the nation's largest cities. But neither Hillard nor Bratton are candidates for the post, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based law enforcement think tank selected by Sanford to identify candidates for the job.

Hillard, who was superintendent in Chicago for five years before retiring in 2003, was not available Monday to comment.

Bratton, a former chief of the New York Police Department who most recently resigned as chief in Los Angeles in 2009, said the candidate will have to possess "extraordinary" skills to navigate the complex social and legal issues facing the department and the city.

"You might need a miracle worker," Bratton said.

The research forum was selected to lead the search by Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte after Police Chief Bill Lee announced last month that he was temporarily stepping aside as state and federal authorities investigate the February shooting of the unarmed 17-year-old by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. The Justice Department is investigating Martin's death.

Wexler declined to identify potential candidates but confirmed that Hillard and Bratton were among advisers assisting the process.

"We are moving very quickly," Wexler said. "There is a sense of urgency about this."

Wexler said the group is looking for a candidate who can provide guidance and stability to the department for a term of about six months.

"We've talked to a lot of different people in a very short time," Wexler said. "We're not talking about a process that is going to take months. We're talking about a matter of weeks."