The Los Angeles Police Department may be forced to operate without a chief for about two weeks in November, according to the head of the Police Commission.

Chief William Bratton's resignation takes effect on Oct. 31, but Police Commission President John Mack told City News Service that his replacement probably won't be chosen until Nov. 16. Asked whether an interim chief should be appointed during the interval, Mack said, "It's a relatively short period of time and I don't think that will be necessary."

"I think that probably, for just a couple of weeks, we wouldn't need it because we have a strong command staff," he added. "We don't expect the place to fall apart in two weeks." Under the city charter, the Personnel Department's general manager administers the recruitment process and recommends at least six candidates for the Police Commission to interview.

Tomorrow is the last day to submit applications. The Police Commission will then select three candidates to recommend to mayor, whose selection must be confirmed by the City Council.

"I think we will begin to get a good feel for both the number of candidates, and which ones are qualified candidates, by early October," Mack said. He said the projected date for choosing a police chief is mid-November because of background checks and other requirements.

Since Mack emphasized the need to solicit public input on the selection process, the Police Commission held five community meetings and the Personnel Department conducted an online survey -- both to ask Angelenos what qualities they would most like to see in their next police chief.

Bratton is returning to New York to join a global security company that specializes in bringing "professional, modern criminal justice systems" to post-conflict nations like Afghanistan and Iraq.

His nearly seven-year tenure at the LAPD has been widely praised for driving down crime rates to historic lows. He also increased the department's ranks to 10,000 police officers and helped it achieve compliance with the consent decree imposed after the 2001 Rampart corruption scandal.