Los Angeles Police Department might need an interim chief

The expected timeline means it is likely that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be forced to appoint an interim chief -- a move he has said he is loath to make -- or leave the department without a head for a few weeks.

That realization comes as the field of internal LAPD candidates planning to compete for the job widens significantly. At least 11 of the department's dozen deputy and assistant chiefs have decided to apply.

Bratton, 61, shocked the city earlier this month with word that he would step down Oct. 31 to join a private security firm. Villaraigosa, who must select a replacement from finalists who emerge after a lengthy application process, said he wanted to be able to name the new chief by the time Bratton left.

Application reviews, interviews, background checks and deliberations, however, are expected to take too long to meet that goal, said Phyllis Lynes, assistant general manager in the city Personnel Department. The names of three finalists are scheduled to be given to the mayor in the third week of November, she said.