By Brian Denitzio
News Editor

Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole announced on Tuesday that she will leave her post to accept a position as the inspector general of the 12,000-member Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police force. O'Toole made the move public at a Tuesday afternoon press conference, putting to rest nearly a week of speculation that she would soon leave Boston for the Emerald Isle.

O'Toole, who's been Boston's top cop since February 2004, said that being commissioner in Boston was her dream job, but looked forward to a new opportunity.

Local activists were not surprised by the announcement in light of recent speculation that O'Toole was on her way out, but expressed disappointment at the timing of the move.

"There's no surprise here," said Bowdoin-Geneva resident Davida Andelman, who said that she's troubled by the timing of the move.

"This is a difficult enough time as it is, with what's going on at least around here, and the city as a whole," said Andelman. "We're transitioning to a new captain in C-11 and we're commissioner-less for the most part right now&emdash;there couldn't be a worse time."

Last year, the city witnessed 75 homicides, the most in a decade. A recent stretch saw seven murders in seven days, and through May 7 of this year, there were 123 non-fatal shootings, compared to 60 in the same period last year. Andelman and others say that these numbers all point to a violent summer, and worry that the effects of the instability at the top of the department will be felt in the neighborhoods.

"If there's no stability within the police department there's no stability in the neighborhood," said Cynthia Loesch of the Codman Square Neighborhood Council.

Beyond the timing of her departure, some are also disappointed by O'Toole's tenure in another sense- her unrealized potential.

"I feel like it's a disappointment in another way, as a woman having a female police commissioner really, I expect more of women in high positions. I feel like they have more that they bring to the positions," said Andelman.

"It's pretty clear that Commissioner O'Toole never got to realize what she wanted to accomplish," said Bill Walczack, CEO of the Codman Square Health Center. "Whatever her vision was for the police department just never came about."

Lenny Alkins, president of the Boston chapter of the NAACP, called O'Toole's departure a "tremendous loss."

"She was trying to build bridges and bring diversity within the department," said Alkins. "It was a work in progress, but her spirit of cooperation was greatly appreciated by the NAACP."

O'Toole said that she will remain in command through July 1, but it is still unclear how a successor will be chosen.

Some believe that the search for a successor should look beyond the current command staff and cast a nationwide net to bring in fresh ideas and a fresh perspective. To that end, O'Toole's departure presents an opportunity to turn the page.

"Frankly, I think the police department needs a new face here," said Andleman. "One of the more positive aspects of what has just happened (is) to bring in an experienced new face, new ideas. Somebody who has done police work for a long time, I don't care if it's in Massachusetts, outside of Massachusetts&emdash;I think we need some new ideas."

Others believe that the ideas are in place to bring crime levels back to where they were five years ago. Walczack said that what's necessary is a commitment to getting back to the strategies that were successful in the past.

"I think we know what needs to be done, what we need is the direction and will to accomplish that," said Walczack.

He cited the work of the anti-gang squad and homicide units in the mid- and late-'90s as keys to the department's success. Getting back to those strategies is important

"Do we need to go to a nationwide search? At this point I think we need to bring ourselves back to what we had going on in the mid-'90s and for me that was really the cooperation between the various law enforcement entities and a focus on putting bad guys away," said Walczak.

One name widely considered as a candidate for the post, either permanently or on an interim basis is Superintendent Robert Dunford, a Dorchester resident and the former commander of Dorchester's district C-11.

"I respect him as a policeman who understands how to manage the police force," said Walczak.

Dunford is in charge of all uniformed officers and won praise for his handling of security for the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Other possible successors include Superintendent Paul Joyce, who supervises the department's elite squads such as the drug, homicide, and anti-gang unit. MBTA Police Chief Joe Carter is also considered a potential candidate, as is former C-11 commander Capt. Francis Armstrong, now in command of the BPD's evidence bureau. Capt. James Claiborne, who was demoted from his Superintendent rank under O'Toole's command, is another likely candidate.

At press time, the mayor had not yet announced how the search for O'Toole's successor would unfold. The NAACP's Alkins says that a national search should be commissioned.

"The interim commissioner, whoever that person is, should be someone who will not be a candidate for the (permanent) job," Alkins says. "Knowing the culture of this city, it will probably come from someone with the department. But, if we're going to break the mold and change the culture in the BPD, and bring about diversity and fairness at all levels, we're going to have to bring in someone who is not within the ranks."