Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jul 2000
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2000 The Denver Post
Contact:  1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202
Fax: (303) 820.1502
Website: http://www.denverpost.com/
Forum: http://www.denverpost.com/voice/voice.htm
Author: Cindy Brovsky, Denver Post staff writers Mike McPhee and Sean Kelly 
contributed to
this report.

WEBB NAMES 1ST DRUG CZAR FOR DENVER

July 11, 2000 - Mayor Wellington Webb continued his surprise
restructuring of Denver's top law enforcement team Monday, naming the
city's first drug czar.

Adam Brickner, who has worked in the Denver Drug Court since 1996 and
has served as the court coordinator since 1998, called the job a
"challenge in unifying Denver in its fight against drugs and drug abuse."

"I've seen the devastating effects of drug abuse and addiction on
Denver citizens and families," said Brickner, 39, who holds a
bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

While crime in Denver has steadily dropped over the past decade, Webb
said drugs are still a problem.

"This position will help Denver's efforts to decrease the
proliferation of drugs in the city as well as to coordinate our
efforts to provide substance-abuse offenders treatment," Webb said.

The mayor's Drug Strategy Commission recommended in April 1999
creating the position of drug czar.

Brickner's salary has yet to be finalized, Webb spokesman Andrew
Hudson said.

The announcement follows Friday's shake-up of Denver's two top law
enforcement posts and comes on the eve of the mayor's State of the
City address today.

On Friday, the mayor appointed interim Police Chief Gerry Whitman to
the job permanently.

He also replaced city Safety Manager Butch Montoya with Ari Zavaras, a
former Denver chief and the current executive director of the state's
Department of Public Safety.

Webb's office initially refused to release the names of three
out-of-town candidates who were finalists for the chief's job with
Whitman. But the mayor later admitted that promising the candidates
confidentiality violated the state's open-records law.

His office disclosed the names Monday: John Welter, assistant chief of
police in San Diego; Edward A. Flynn, police chief of Arlington
County, Va.; and James Lewis, police chief of Green Bay, Wis. All
three are strong advocates of community policing.

The more surprising move was the demotion of Montoya to acting
director of corrections.

Webb confirmed Monday that Montoya will have to apply for the job. The
Career Service Authority will review all applications for the
corrections job.

Webb said he will make the final decision on who is hired, with input
from Zavaras.

Montoya, 49, a former 9 News producer, was appointed safety manager in
1994. But he's been at the heart of several controversies in the past
year, specifically the hiring of police recruit Ellis Johnson, an
admitted former drug user, and a botched no-knock drug raid that left
Mexican national Ismael Mena dead.

Montoya's position was further weakened when Tom Sanchez was forced
out as police chief in February after taking an ill-advised trip to
Hawaii. Montoya had encouraged him to take the trip despite
controversies brewing at home.

Days later, Webb strongly defended Montoya, saying: "Butch Montoya
will be manager of safety until 2003" unless he "chooses to do
something different."

Webb said Monday that he'd been recruiting Zavaras since before the
November 1998 gubernatorial election.

By leaving Gov. Bill Owens' administration, Zavaras will take a pay
cut with the city job. Zavaras also served under Gov. Roy Romer as
director of the Colorado Department of Corrections.

"The move was all to strengthen the (public safety) team," Webb said.
"I went after Zavaras before the last governor election."

No salary was released Monday but Zavaras' pay will be similar to
Montoya's, who earned $106,632. Zavaras' salary with the state jumped
to $114,500 on July 1.

"I really don't know what I'll make with the city," Zavaras said
Monday. "I didn't do this for the money, but to help fulfill a need."
The mayor dismissed political speculation that he's grooming Zavaras,
a Denver native, to replace him in the 2003 mayoral election. Webb
cannot run again because of term limits.

Zavaras, 56, a Democrat, began his 25-year career with the Denver
Police Department in 1965 and was named police chief in 1987. He
resigned in 1991 when Webb, a Republican, was elected.

"There are five or six people out there who would be good candidates
for mayor," Webb said.

Zavaras expects to begin his new job no later than Aug. 1, he
said.

Montoya also will take a pay cut as acting director of corrections.
His new salary is $103,536. He was at his new job Monday but declined
any comment.

The only one to get a pay raise in the shake-up is Police Chief
Whitman. The 18-year Denver veteran officer earned $91,704 as a
division chief and will get $110,328 as chief.

In a statement released Saturday, Montoya said he sought out the
corrections job. Montoya was juggling his safety duties and overseeing
corrections since former jail warden John Simonet retired in January.

Webb said both men have similar spiritual backgrounds they bring to
the job. Simonet was a former ordained priest and Montoya is a minister.

Simonet said Monday he was surprised that his replacement wasn't named
sooner. Simonet served as Denver's manager of safety under Mayor
Federico Pena before he requested a transfer to the corrections job.

"Butch is a decent, kind understanding man," Simonet said. "As long as
he keeps the good people who are already there around him, he'll be
fine."

Denver Post staff writers Mike McPhee and Sean Kelly contributed to
this report.

(SIDEBAR)

ADAM BRICKNER

AGE: 39

CURRENT POSITION: Denver Drug Court coordinator since
1998.

EDUCATION: Earned bachelor's degree in sociology from the University
of Colorado at Boulder in 1988.

EXPERIENCE: Has more than 13 years of experience in community
corrections and working with substance-abuse offenders. As the drug
court coordinator, Brickner coordinated information among the city of
Denver, the state of Colorado, county court judges, treatment
providers, public defenders, district attorneys and community
organizations.

When he takes over as Denver's first drug czar on Aug. 15, he will
report to new Manager of Safety Ari Zavaras. His salary has not yet
been determined.

His mission will be to implement the city's drug strategy: prevention
and education; treatment; and enforcement of drug laws.
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