"I think he's well-qualified," he said. "He's a local high school graduate and knows the community. He came up through the ranks, and he knows police work. I'm sure he'll give exceptional leadership on his watch."

"I've always found him to be a pretty straight shooting guy," said Robert Clark, a member of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board. "He comes across very well.

"I'm personally delighted," Clark said. "I think he'll make an excellent police chief."

Correa's work in coordinating security for the Asian Development Bank conference in 2001 was a career high point cited both by supporters and critics alike.

"He has good operational and community coordination experience through his experience with the Asian Development Bank," said Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle. "And he is well-acquainted with the demands on a large city police department in the post-9/11 environment."

Carlisle said Correa is articulate and has a good sense of humor.

Correa "has a presence," said Carlisle's political opponent, Keith Kaneshiro, a former prosecutor and director of public safety. "He takes command of situations. He coordinated the Asian Development Bank conference, and he did an excellent job."

Not everyone liked the department's handling of the ADB situation. While law enforcement officials and their supporters felt extra precautions were necessary in the wake of serious rioting at a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in 1999, hundreds who protested the ADB conference believed the security presence during the gathering at the Hawai'i Convention Center was overbearing and unnecessary and a violation of free-speech rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union challenged new regulations instituted by the city at the request of police designed to regulate marches on public streets and gatherings in public parks. Correa and then-chief Lee Donohue were among those named in the lawsuit. As part of a settlement of the ACLU's federal lawsuit, the city and the state agreed to revert to some of the old rules.

Carolyn Hadfield, who helped organize the ADB protest, said she was disappointed with Correa's selection as the top cop.

"It's very alarming that someone who has tried to prevent the legal expression of free speech in Hawai'i would become police chief," Hadfield said. "His behavior during the ADB protest was definitely to prevent people from going out in the streets and then to create an atmosphere of fear."

Law enforcement officials, politicians and neighborhood board members contacted yesterday had nothing but praise for Correa.

"Definitely the best person for the job got the job," said U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo. "I'm very pleased and happy for Boisse. He is such a dedicated professional."

"He's got a great reputation for working with the other agencies — and not just law enforcement agencies," said Charles Goodwin, special agent in charge of the FBI locally. "I've been involved with him in the Hawai'i Emergency Preparedness Council and he's well known to us through the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"He's been a good leader in the police department, and I'm sure he'll be an excellent chief of police."

Tenari Maafala, president of the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers, said he was "excited" by the selection of Correa as chief.

Maafala said SHOPO has had a good relationship with Correa and the union looked forward to working with him.

The selection process does not include input from SHOPO and the union did not endorse any candidate, Maafala said.