Two members of a police chief selection committee tendered resignations to the Honolulu Police Commission after learning that the commission had chosen to name six people as finalists rather than four as the committee had recommended.

Police Commission Chairwoman Christine Camp said yesterday she received e-mail messages from committee members Ron Taketa and William "Buzz" Hong on Thursday announcing that they were resigning "given recent events."

Camp said she was "baffled" by the resignations since the selection committee had completed its work in ranking the top 11 candidates on Wednesday.

"They had already identified and graded the top candidates,"Camp said. "There wasn't anything to resign from. The committee dissolved itself."

Camp said, "I'm sure they were responding to us drawing a deeper list than what they were going to send up."

She added: "They were concerned they would be caught in some kind of controversy."

Hong could not be reached for comment. Taketa referred questions to selection committee Chairman Timothy Johns, who also couldn't be reached for comment.

The finalists , announced by Camp late Thursday, include four current top officers at the Honolulu Police Department: Acting Chief Paul Putzulu, Assistant Chief Debora Tandal, Assistant Chief Delbert Tatsuyama and Capt. Louis Kealoha.

The other two finalists are from the Mainland: Cmdr. Harry Markley of the Phoenix Police Department and Gary Yamashiroya of the Chicago Police Department.

The selection committee on Wednesday recommended Putzulu, Kealoha, Markley and Yamashiroya as finalists.

However, the commission wanted a larger pool and then asked that "half" of a list of 11 candidates who took a test and went through an interview process earlier this week advance into the finalist round, Camp said.

On Camp's instruction, the names of Tandal and Tatsuyama were added Thursday morning.

Camp said the five-member selection committee is advisory only. She noted that when the chief was chosen in the past, the commission did all the work itself with the help of a consultant.

This commission chose to use a selection committee because most of the commission members are new to the panel and the workings of the department, she said.

She praised the selection committee: "They did the hardest work and they made it easy for us to draw from that list because it was ranked and graded."

FOLLOWED PROCESS

There was no attempt to manipulate the process and the six candidates represented the highest ranked applicants, Camp said. "We can say it was true to the process, and they know we were true to that process."

The commission yesterday announced that it is seeking public input on the six candidates. A public hearing is slated for 2:15 p.m. on Friday in the first-floor Juvenile Services Division conference room at HPD headquarters on South Beretania Street.

Written comments can be submitted to the Honolulu Police Commission, 1060 Richards St., Suite 170, Honolulu, HI 96813. Testimony also must be received by Friday.

The commission is expected to announce a new chief by the end of November. Camp said she wants the work done by Thanksgiving.

At its meeting yesterday, commission consultant Joel Blackburn explained the grueling process experienced by chief candidates this week.

Former Police Chief Boisse Correa left his post in August after the commission declined to grant him a new five-year contract. Putzulu was named acting chief.

The job of Honolulu police chief pays $136,236 annually plus $2,496 in "standard of conduct" pay.