Pubdate: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 Source: Savannah Morning News (GA) Copyright: 2006 Savannah Morning News Contact: http://www.savannahnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401 NO RUSH AT CNT The selection of a new drug squad commander must be the consequence of careful thought, so the applicant with the best credentials is chosen. IT'S GOOD that Chatham County administrators have backed away from their plan to name a new commander for the countywide drug squad by the end of this year. The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team plays a critical role in area law enforcement. County officials owe it to the public to do due diligence in picking a new CNT leader. There's no huge rush to fill the position, as the agency will be in capable hands with its interim leader, Capt. Paul McBurney, who was named last week. The CNT is a governmental hybrid. It's funded by Chatham County and functions an arm of county government under the direct responsibility of County Manager Russ Abolt. A Drug Advisory Board offers guidance about how the CNT should operate. Its menbers include the chiefs of police of all the municipal police departments in the county, District Attorney Spencer Lawton Jr., and Sheriff Al St. Lawrence. But the board does not hire (or fire) the commander. That's Mr. Abolt's job. And to his credit, he asked for some help. Mr. Abolt has directed the Drug Advisory Board - now chaired by new Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Berkow - to interview qualified candidates and come up with a list of finalists. Then Mr. Abolt, along with County Human Resources Director Michael Kaigler, Chief Berkow and former CNT commander Tom Sprague, would examine the top picks - with the county manager having the final say. This position will be officially vacant on Dec. 29 with the retirement of Commander Eddie Williams. Several weeks ago, Mr. Abolt said he hoped to have a successor hired by the time the outgoing commander is gone. But last week, that hurry-up schedule changed. And for the better. The latest plan scraps the Dec. 29 hiring deadline; it's now open-ended as to when a commander would be named. The Drug Advisory Board last Tuesday looked at the 14 applications it has received, including two submitted by the board's own members - Thunderbolt Police Chief Irene Pennington and Gerald Cisco, head of the local Drug Enforcement Administration office. Both applicants are prohibited from participating in the selection process, which would be a clear conflict of interest. Still, the question for the remaining board members is whether they can objectively weigh all the applications and not be swayed by having two of their own in the hunt for the top slot. The county, meanwhile, will continue to accept applications for CNT leader until Jan. 1. That means it will be sometime in the new year when the county manager makes his pick, after conferring with his "kitchen cabinet" of advisers. Creating the CNT in 1994 was one of the smartest things that local governments ever did. The specialized agency replaced the former Metro Drug Squad, which was part of the former Chatham County Police Department and wasn't getting the job done when it came to combating drug-related crimes. The beauty of the CNT is that it forced local police departments, which often jealously guarded their home turfs, to work together to solve a common problem. Since the county paid 100 percent of the salaries and benefits of all the officers assigned to CNT, the agency was a sweet financial deal for municipal governments. More recently, however, serious questions have been raised about CNT's management. Meanwhile, the 2003 merger of the Savannah Police Department and Chatham County Police Department into a single, countywide force that is responsible for the city and unincoroporated area changed the landscape of local law enforcement - and for the better. But drugs remain the common denominator of most violent crimes in the community. And since drug use doesn't recognize municipal boundaries, the drug fight must we waged on a countywide level. That's why effective, trusted leadership of the CNT is vital. Choosing someone to lead this unit must not be a rush job, mostly to keep the seat warm after the current commander leaves. The selection must be the consequence of careful thought, so the applicant with the best credentials is chosen. One encouraging sign is that Chief Berkow now heads the Drug Advisory Board. He said last week that the board is looking for someone with proven leadership and managerial ability, a demonstrated track record of integrity and a solid background in investigations and narcotics work. Each point is on target. Here's one more item for the list: political blindness. The commander must use the CNT to work drug cases in all areas of Chatham County. This will help maintain the trust among local police departments that is necessary for a countywide drug squad to be effective. With Chief Berkow on board as metro police chief, local law enforcement is evolving. Change is in the works. Just last week, for example, the new chief disbanded the department's Expanded Patrol Operations and shifted those officers back to their precincts, which should improve community-oriented policing and crime reduction. The CNT must be part of that evolution. That's why naming the next CNT commander is a critical pick - and, why county officials should take the time so the right person gets the job. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake