By Robert Anglen
The Cincinnati Enquirer

After winnowing a list of 100 applicants to head Cincinnati's new citizen police oversight agency to two, and interviewing them this week, City Manager Valerie Lemmie said Thursday she wants to keep looking for new candidates.

Just as the process seemed to be winding down - with the investigative manager of New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board and the superintendent of Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation being tapped for interviews - Ms. Lemmie said the position will stay "open until it is filled."

Originally, Ms. Lemmie indicated she would select an executive director for the Citizens Complaint Authority from the city's short list of candidates.

But now, she said, other parties in the city's two 2002 landmark legal settlements - which call for the agency as part of a series of massive police reforms - are concerned that the best person for the job has not yet been found.

"Everyone knew we had a short list. They didn't feel we had a strong, competitive group," Ms. Lemmie said. "It is in our interests to find a candidate that all collaborative partners agree with."

The fledgling agency will replace the former civilian-run Citizen's Police Review Panel and the city's Office of Municipal Investigation, the only independent agency to investigate allegations of police misconduct. Both agencies were heavily criticized inside and outside the city for being ineffective.

Lawyer Al Gerhardstein, who represents the Black United Front activist group in a lawsuit accusing police of discrimination, said he doesn't think the right person has been found. "Our goal is to get to the point where we all stand together when this person (is) selected," he said. "There has been an ongoing process. We aren't satisfied that we are done yet."

This is the second time that Ms. Lemmie has extended the selection of an executive director. In August, Ms. Lemmie agreed to move back the hiring deadline to avoid a conflict with the Black United Front and Cincinnati's police union over how the applications were solicited.

The Citizen Complaint Authority is key not only in the lawsuit settlement, but also in a settlement with the Department of Justice, which ended a federal investigation of the police department. According to the Justice Department agreement, the authority was supposed to begin operations Aug. 9.

Ms. Lemmie said Thursday that she expects the agency to be up and running by the first of the year.

New York lawyer Carl Stoll and career Ohio law enforcement officer Ted Almay were interviewed this week for the position.

Mr. Stoll supervises a team of investigators who look into allegations of excessive force, abuse of authority and discourtesy committed by New York City police officers and was the department advocate for the Chicago Police Department.

"I reviewed all investigations of citizens complaints alleging excessive force and unreasonable searches and made recommendations for corrective actions," he said in his resume. "What I bring to the position is an abundance of experience in all areas of responsibility."

Mr. Almay, head of Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, was the first head superintendent ever recruited from the bureau's ranks. He said the country is in need of a model for police oversight agencies and Cincinnati's new agency could fill that roll.

"My perspective is that this is a tremendous opportunity to restore credibility to the city of Cincinnati, community groups as well as the police department," he said. "It is a huge challenge, one that can be done successfully."

E-mail ranglen@enquirer.com