Anthony Batts was recruited from Long Beach in 2009 by then-Mayor Ron Dellums. (Paul Chinn / The Chronicle)

Word is that Oakland's highly popular police chief, Anthony Batts, is one of two finalists for the job of top cop in San Jose.

Batts told the Oakland Police Officers Association on Sunday that the other finalist is San Jose acting Chief Chris Moore.

Batts declined to comment other than to confirm that he is a finalist."No decision has been made either by San Jose or by the chief," said Oakland police spokeswoman Holly Joshi.

San Jose city spokesman Tom Manheim said he could not confirm Batts is a finalist "because we are not talking about it."

Manheim did say that the city manager hoped to have a final pick by early February.

"We still have more interviews and background checks to do," Manheim said.

In Oakland, even the possibility of Batts exiting sent shock waves through the community.

"It's really unfortunate - he really is well liked," said Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid. "The people in the neighborhoods had so much faith in him being able to do what needed to be done."

Oakland Police Officers Association President Dom Arotzarena - whom Batts called with the news Sunday afternoon - said, "It's very unfortunate that his time here may have been so short."

Recruited from Long Beach by then-Mayor Ron Dellums in 2009 with the promise of a fully staffed police force and the support of City Hall, Batts has spent much of his term watching the department steadily shrink, from a nearly 800-officer force to 657.

The biggest blow came in July when the cash-strapped city laid off 80 officers.

And while Oakland's serious crime rate has continued to drop under Batts, it remains one of the highest in the nation.

In recent months, Batts had privately voiced concerns about how long the reduced crime trend can continue given the diminished size of the department.

The disclosure that Batts is looking elsewhere - with two years still to go on his contract - presents newly installed Mayor Jean Quan with the first big challenge of her term.

Quan has had a shaky relationship with the police rank and file, in part over her insistence that they pay more into their pensions and in part over the perception that she is not supportive of the department.

On her first full day on the job, Quan tried to mend fences by meeting with the rank-and-file cops at roll call. The move fell flat with many officers, however, when - after giving a short talk and asking all the officers to introduce themselves and state why they wanted to be on the force - Quan left without taking questions.

She also raised eyebrows with the recent appointment of her personal lawyer Dan Siegel as her unpaid adviser on police and other matters.

Siegel's law firm has been fighting the city's gang injunctions on behalf of an alleged Norteño gang member, saying such tactics will serve to "justify the belief in many neighborhoods that the police are simply an occupying army."

Quan's spokeswoman, Sue Piper, said, "As far as we are aware, the decision (to leave) has not been made and he is still chief in Oakland. We will see what tomorrow brings."

Batts and Quan are scheduled to appear today at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the ILWU Warehouse Hall on Hegenberger Road.