Vern White won't rule out applying for police chief's job

Conservative Sen. VernWhite isn't ruling out a run at his old job as Ottawa police chief, a position he still calls"the best job I've ever had."

But he isn't sure yet if he's throwing his hat in the race, as the process to hire a replacement for Chief Charles Bordeleau,who's retiring in May,hasn't been announced.

It's possible the Ottawa Police Services Board will decide to open applications only to current members of theforce, and chair Diane Deanshas spoken about the need to find a chief whoreflects both the diversity of the community and the changing face of policing.

"All those factors are real and valid," White told CBC on Monday.

White said he "loved" being Ottawa's police chief from 2007 until he was appointed to the Senate by then prime minister Stephen Harper in early 2012, and clearlymisses the job.

Police board members are meeting with the city's human resources officials to discussthe strategy for hiring a new chief, and will decide on a hiring process by the end of the month.