The thirteen final applicants, candidates for LAPD Chief

For your convenience, and so you'd learn a little about the candidates, we created the following list of the thirteen final applicants. As you can see, in each case there's a link to more biographical information.

The small red dot in front of a name ( • ) indicates the three applicants whose resumes the Police Commission forwarded to the Mayor for his consideration on September 19th.

But at Los Angeles Community Policing we believe they all deserve our thanks.

The first group are those who are currently serving with the LAPD, listed by rank and length of service:

	Assistant Chief David Gascon (joined the Department in 1971) - currently the Chief of Staff for the Los Angeles Police Department, responsible for overseeing the Internal Affairs Group, the Ombuds program, Governmental Liaison, and Administrative Group
	Deputy Chief Margaret York (a 32 year veteran of LAPD) - the first woman in the history of the LAPD to reach the rank of Deputy Chief - currently serves as the commanding officer of LAPD's Operations Central Bureau, and oversees all Department operations in Central, Hollenbeck, Newton, Northeast and Rampart Areas
	Deputy Chief David Kalish (began his LAPD career in 1975) - currently serves as the commanding officer of LAPD's Operations West Bureau, and oversees all Department operations in Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Pacific and Wilshire Areas
	Commander George Gascon (first joined the LAPD in 1978) - currently serves as commanding officer of the Department's Training Group, responsible for overseeing all training for the Department's sworn and civilian employees
	Commander Jim McDonnell (a 22 year veteran of LAPD) - currently assigned as the Special Assistant to the Chief of Police and also as the Senior Lead Officer (SLO) program coordinator, Safe Parks Coordinator and provides oversight for the Department’s Community Policing efforts and strategies
	Commander Sharon Papa (joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1997 when the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Police Department merged with the LAPD - served with the MTA Police for almost 17 years, and was its Chief of Police from 1990 to 1997) - currently serves as the commanding officer, Community Affairs Group

	Chief Mark Kroeker - Portland Police (was with LAPD 32 years) - a former Deputy Chief at LAPD, spent a year in Bosnia working with the United Nations on peacekeeping and policing efforts, and has been Portland Chief since December of 1999; was a finalist for the LAPD job five years ago
•	Chief Art Lopez - Oxnard Police (was with LAPD 28 years) - a former Deputy Chief at LAPD, has been Chief of the Oxnard Police Department since November of 1998 and known as a firm believer in the concepts of community based policing

•	Commissioner John Timoney - Philadelphia (appointed Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department in 1998) - early career was spent in the New York City Police Department where he became the youngest person in NYC history to hold the "four star" position of Chief of Department
	Chief Paul Walters - Santa Ana (appointed Chief of Police for the City of Santa Ana in 1988) - has 30 years of diverse police experience, and command responsibilities in every rank from Police Officer through Captain; strong proponent of Community Oriented Policing
	Commissioner Ronnie Watson - Cambridge, Mass. (appointed Commissioner of Police for Cambridge, Mass. in 1996) - prior to that he'd spent 33 years with the Chicago Police Department; implemented a "Community Policing Strategy" for the City of Cambridge
	Chief Arturo Venegas - Sacramento (appointed as Sacramento Police Chief in 1993) - earlier career was spent with the Fresno Police Department; a strong believer in community policing, his Department features a Reginal Community Policing Institute; was a finalist for the LAPD job five years ago
•	William Bratton - New York City (former Senior Consultant, Kroll Associates) - well known Police Executive with tenures as Chief of Boston Transit Authority Police 1990-92, Chief of New York Transit Police 1992, Commissioner of the Boston Police Deptartment 1993, and Commissioner of the New York Police Department, 1994-96