WHITMAN KNOWS HE MUST EARN CITY'S TRUST

It didn't take Gerry Whitman long Thursday to settle into
the Denver police chief's office, even if it might be only on an
interim basis.

Over the next three to four months - that's how long Mayor Wellington
Webb is expected to take to choose a permanent chief - Whitman said he
can try on the cool hat, sit in the comfy chair, wear the shiny badge
and see if he really likes it.

And Denver's 1,400 police officers and its citizens - and most
importantly Webb - can see if they like him.

"I think what the police officers want in a chief is someone who is
there, who will address their morale issues, is active, has a
get-it-done attitude, and experiences what they feel every day,"
Whitman, 44, said Thursday.

For the citizens who have been so critical of the department,
especially after filmed high-speed chases, police shootings and
Downtown riots, Whitman said he can't gain their confidence overnight.

"The public won't perceive me until something happens," the 18-year
department veteran said. "I'll just have to do that over time, and
it's done with face-to-face accountability."

Just a day into the job, Whitman seemed relaxed and confident,
although he admits he wasn't nearly as prepared for the job offer as
he was when he sought it 18 months ago. He lost out to the man he's
replacing, Tom Sanchez.

"The last time was a totally different process," Whitman said with a
smile. "It went on for so long, and I had a short- and long-term plan,
an administrative plan and a priorities plan." Now, however, Whitman
is facing more than a few challenges, a doubtful public and a
department in need of a leader. Webb has asked for Whitman to begin an
immediate review of the city's high-speed chase and no-knock
search-warrant policies, both topics with which Whitman is intimately
familiar.

As division chief of patrol operations, his command included the SWAT
team that carries out no-knock raids and the road officers who decide
whether to hit the gas or the brakes.

"I started to approach the highspeed chase issue 18 months
ago,"

Whitman said, explaining that he had to bridge the gap between the
safety of officers and the public with the need to apprehend a
suspected criminal.

"You have to teach the officers what to think about and what's a
priority,"

he said. "The longer a chase goes, the more risk of injury or
accident. We need to narrow the control to the officer and the
supervisor." Whitman looks at no-knock raids with more mixed feelings,
believing that they're necessary to ensure officers' safety during a
drug bust, but should be used sparingly.

Last year, SWAT officers executed about three no-knock warrants a
week, officials said.

"Eliminating them entirely is an option, but that will impact on the
future safety of officers," he said. "There are other alternatives
that I think we can explore and evaluate their effectiveness." As for
the long days he can expect as chief, Whitman said he only has one
priority: His two children, ages 6 and 8.

"I like to participate in police work as long as I can make my 7
o'clock Pop meeting with my kids," he mused.