CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles Police Commission completed two days of interviews Thursday with candidates vying to be the next LAPD chief. Officials hope to select three finalists by Tuesday.

The commission, a civilian panel that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department, met with 13 applicants. All but two were LAPD deputy chiefs and assistant chiefs. The interviews were held at the tony City Club downtown. The panel made no effort to conceal the identities of the in-house candidates, but did sneak two outside candidates in and out of the interview room through a back hallway. Commission President John Mack said they were sitting police chiefs elsewhere and did not want it known that they were seeking the LAPD post.

With the interviews now complete, Mack said the commission would spend the next few days deliberating and vetting candidates. Barring any major delays, he said he was tentatively planning to pass the names of three finalists on to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday. The mayor will make the final selection, and has said he would like to do so by the time that outgoing Police Chief William J. Bratton departs Oct. 31.

-- Joel Rubin