LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The Kaua'i Police Commission, which earlier this month accepted the retirement of former Police Chief K.C. Lum, has voted to remove Lum's deputy, Ron Venneman, as acting police chief.

Venneman was cited for collecting signatures on county time for a petition to support Lum's candidacy for chief in 2004. Later, when Lum was appointed chief, he named Venneman his deputy.

Meanwhile, the commission voted to have the next officer in the chain of command, Assistant Chief Clay Arinaga, serve as the new acting chief.

Venneman will retain the rank of deputy chief.

"The county attorney ruled that we don't have the authority to remove the deputy chief, but we could remove him as acting chief," said police commissioner Carol Furtado.

The Kaua'i County Council had called on the commission to remove Venneman over the petition issue.

The commission voted 4-1 Friday to do so, with Furtado the only vote against replacing Venneman. She argued that the petition issue, while serious, was insufficient to justify his removal.

Arinaga will have the authority to either retain Venneman as a deputy chief or to replace him.

If he is replaced as deputy chief, Venneman has the option of moving back to a Police Department patrolman's position — his previous job.

This latest step in the tortuous path of Kaua'i police leadership during the past two years sets the stage for the commission to launch a new search for a permanent chief.

By selecting Arinaga, who has publicly said he does not want the permanent appointment as chief, the commission also sidesteps one of its controversial moves of two years ago. During its 2004 selection process for chief, it appeared to signify Lum was its favorite by appointing him acting chief while still considering other candidates for the job.

Lum had been criticized for his management of the department, and he retired a day before he would have been removed from office for reasons that had nothing to do with his own performance.

The county Board of Ethics and the County Council had called for his removal because of irregularities in the Police Commission's appointment process.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.