The DeKalb City Council authorized the city manager Monday to select a replacement for Police Chief Joe Maciejewski, who announced he will retire Feb. 18.

Maciejewski, 65, did not release a statement to the press and said he would not discuss his retirement plans until January.

“The only plans are to finish my three months,” said Maciejewski, who has been with the DeKalb Police Department for 17 years. “I have a lot of projects I have to complete.”

Maciejewski said he plans to continue living in DeKalb after he retires.

DeKalb City Manager Mark Stevens said he will advertise in national professional journals and newspapers for a new police chief instead of promoting from within the department. However, qualified candidates within the department also will be considered, he said.

Second Ward Alderman Michael Welsh and 3rd Ward Alderman William Hanna said they believe several officers within the department are qualified for the position of police chief.

Sixth Ward Alderman Michael Neylon said several police officers he talked to have no objections to widening the search to the national level.

Seventh Ward Alderman Mark Powell criticized the police chief for not cracking down on drugs in DeKalb.

“I would hope being a university community our chief of police would be someone with experience in narcotics and narcotics trafficking,” he said. “Maciejewski has shown me to be lazy (in establishing a drug program).”

Powell also accused the city manager of a political maneuvering to select a new police chief before the mayoral election in April and asked the council to postpone the selection until May. His proposal died for lack of a second.

“I truly resent the kind of comments made about our city staff and other people,” said 4th Ward Alderman Rita Tewksbury. “I deeply resent the type of insults that pour out of Alderman Powell’s mouth every time we turn around. We have known for the past year and a half the chief has been planning to retire. There is nothing political about this.”

Fifth Ward Alderman Bessie Chronopoulos said, “I refuse to watch that man’s (Maciejewski’s) integrity be imputed by that vicious man (Powell).”

In other business, the council passed 6-1, with Powell opposing, a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. The cost to the city is $1,321 per year after May 1, 1989. Council members participate in the program.

In a report to the council, Stevens said he has asked the city attorney to investigate ordinances pertaining to pit bull terriers.

City Clerk Marguerite Hoyt said she has received copies of ordinances from other communities.

The request came shortly after the Nov. 10 death of an NIU student who was mauled by two pit bulls in Kane County.

Kevin Cull, a 25-year-old graduate student was mauled by one or two pit bulls in Geneva, Ill. Kane County Police have not determined whether the dogs will be destroyed.