Frustrated Honolulu residents may feel a greater urgency for members of the Police Commission to pick a successor to Louis Kealoha in the wake of the arrest of the former chief two days ago.

It’s been more than 10 months since Kealoha first placed himself on administrative leave after receiving a letter from federal authorities informing him he was a target of a criminal investigation. Deputy Chief Cary Okimoto has been acting chief of the Honolulu Police Department since.

Kealoha and his wife were arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, making false statements and bank fraud.

It’s critical that a new chief be picked soon, said City Council Chairman Ron Menor.

“The Police Department needs a permanent chief at the helm who can provide leadership and direction,” Menor said Saturday, “and bolster morale and reaffirm public confidence in the department which, to some extent, has been shaken in light of recent events regarding the Kealohas.”

The Police Commission is set to interview the final seven candidates to replace Kealoha from Monday through Wednesday, with the goal of picking a new chief by the end of the month at the latest. But it’s possible that won’t happen.

Only four members are available to make a pick, and they will have to reach consensus. That’s because any seven-person city panel needs four votes to take action.

Two commissioners resigned in recent months, and commission Chairman Max Sword recused himself due to a conflict of interest because his wife, Mona Wood-Sword, is first cousin of one of the finalists, retired federal agent Thomas Aiu.

The four commissioners are scheduled to make a decision on a new chief Wednesday or Thursday but could extend that to the end of the month.

Several commissioners have been talking about what can be done if they don’t reach consensus. And Okimoto announced last week he agreed to a request by Mayor Kirk Caldwell to delay his retirement by a month and stay on through November in case there are delays in the selection process.

In case the four can’t decide this week, the Council is speeding up the confirmation proceedings for Caldwell’s nominations of two new commissioners, so they would be able to help break any potential impasse on selecting a new chief.

On Friday, Menor waived an initial hearing on the nominated commissioners, which would have been held Nov. 1. Instead, the nominations will be sent directly to the Public Health, Safety and Welfare Committee for a special hearing Friday. If they are approved in committee, the Council will hold a final vote Nov. 1.

Caldwell forwarded the names of Karen Chang and Gerard “Jerry” Gibson to the Council last Tuesday.

The new police chief will have to move quickly to restore the department’s damaged reputation.

A key allegation made by U.S. attorneys is that Kea­loha; his wife, Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha; and four other former or current police officers, all members of the hand-picked Criminal Intelligence Unit, conspired to frame Katherine Kealoha’s uncle in the alleged theft of the couple’s mailbox, having him arrested and prosecuted.

The commission members need to help the Council look into what’s wrong with HPD, Councilwoman Kymberly Pine said.

“With what is going on with Kealoha, we have very serious issues they need to deal with,” Pine said. “We need to do an investigation to see whether the alleged behavior is common in the Police Department.”

But Pine said picking a new chief is a critical decision and shouldn’t be rushed. “They should be very thorough and make sure that we have a police chief that is a good representative of justice,” she said.

Councilman Ernie Martin said he agrees someone should be picked soon but doesn’t want the process rushed unnecessarily. “Our officers and the general public deserve no less,” he said. “But if the newly appointed commissioners are to participate in the decision, then we need to ensure that they feel comfortable in that role. This is far too important to rush.”

The commission has taken a public pounding for the delay in picking a new chief.

Sword on Saturday said the commission couldn’t advertise for the chief’s job until Kealoha’s retirement at the end of February, and then the solicitation for candidates needed to be open for a required time.

The major delay was caused by the bureaucratic procurement process needed to hire a consulting company, Sword said. Additionally, the first vendor selected in June pulled out, and negotiations and vetting had to take place with Pennsylvania-based EB Jacobs, he said. “We had to start from square one,” he said.

The consultant began work in mid-July.

The commission announced in May that it had 34 eligible candidates, but initial testing of 24 candidates took place at the end of August because of the delays in procuring a consultant. Nine semifinalists were picked in September and the seven finalists were named Sept. 28.

Louis and Katherine Kealoha Indictment by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd