Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.wpost From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: D.C.'s New Police Chief= Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 04:42:00 EST Message-ID: <6.1992Nov20.044200@AmeriCast.com> D.C.'s New Police Chief= MAYOR KELLY'S selection of Fred Thomas as the city's next chief of police looks like a good call. A 20-year veteran of the Metro- politan Police Department before his retirement in 1985 and head of the Boys and Girls Club for the past seven years, the new chief is well positioned to know what comes with the territory and how to handle it when he assumes office next month. That home-grown experience helped him get the nod over the three high-ranking finalists from outside the department, who would have needed time to learn the city and an unfamiliar police force just when community demands for better protection are growing. But the new chief's long absence from the department also helped him fill the role of an outsider with a different perspective to offer. In addition, it gave him a leg up on the remaining three District police insiders. Fred Thomas has always aspired to pin on the chief's badge. He may now do so unburdened by responsibil- ity for the department's recent problems and unencumbered either by hidebound notions or obligations to an inner circle that might otherwise stand in the way of the redirection the department desperately needs. The initial reaction to the mayor's decision has been positive. This is a good omen. The head of the Fraternal Order of Police local, Andre Lewis, said Mr. Thomas "appears to offer the best of both worlds for the mayor, and it might be the best of both worlds for the department." Given the occasionally fractious re- lations between police management and the union, the city will be well served if they can hit it off. The mayor's broadly based ci- tizens' advisory council, the business community and D.C. Council Chairman John Wilson are also supportive. Support from the coun- cil is critical not only for his confirmation but also for his effective service. A lot has happened to the department since Fred Thomas has been gone, and it hasn't all been good. He inherits a younger, less experienced group of police officers with its own problems. This year about 40 officers are up on criminal charges. The force remains technologically behind many of its suburban counterparts, police cars are aging, and with delays in salary increases, morale is sagging. At the same time, the street-level campaign against crime with foot patrols reaching out and remaining close to the community - "community policing" - needs expansion. It's a tall order for the new chief, but one that is perhaps achievable if he isn't weighed down immediately by city hall second-guessing. The mayor hopes to lure Houston police assistant Hiram Contreras, another highly regarded finalist, to assist him. With the caveat that this arrangement won't work without Mr. Thomas's unqualified support - which we understand has been given - we wish Mayor Kelly well on that too. 02:07 11-20C9999----- Copyright 1992, The Washington Post. This story is from the Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar- chived or redistributed. For more information, send-email to American Cybercasting Cor- poration (usa@AmeriCast.COM)