Obama Drug Czar Doesn't Make Top Cop Cut

Chicago's police board just said no to drugs.

The board delivered the names of three police superintendent finalists on Friday to Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel. Despite media speculation, none of them included President Barack Obama's drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske.

Kerlikowske was considered a frontrunner in the superintendent race after he met with Emanuel earlier this month and interviewed with the police board. Before his current post, Kerlikowske was the Seattle police chief for nine years. 

Speculation also pegged Chicago Deputy Chief of Detectives Al Wysinger and Newark, N.J., chief Garry McCarthy as being considered for the job.

McCarthy, who was a Chicago top cop finalist in 2003, remained on the list of finalists along with two other Chicago "insiders": Chief of Patrol Eugene Williams and Debra Kirby, deputy superintendent for the Bureau of Professionals Standards. In 2005, Kirby was accused by Internal Affairs of failing to investigate a pattern of robberies by the Police Department's special operations police.

The three finalists were all interviewed by the police board and Emanuel. 

Emanuel's office gave "no timeline" as to when he will make a final announcement, but many expect the appointment to come next week. 
 
Emanuel said Thursday he didn't know who the board picked as finalists and said he's anxious to hear the names. "I don't want to waste a single day," he said. "The city needs a new police commander immediately."

Emanuel gets sworn in as Chicago's next mayor at 10:30 a.m. May 16 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. He has said he wants his law enforcement team in place before then. 

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