Baltimore’s next top cop needs proper experience

So many retired police and others wanted Darryl De Sousa to succeed. The tax charges lodged against him by the U.S. attorney shocked and dismayed so many who served with honor. They desperately hoped he would restore respectability and stability to a beleaguered, demoralized Baltimore Police Department (“Former Baltimore police chief De Sousa’s initial federal court appearance on tax charges set for Monday,” May 16).

In his brief tenure, the bright and personable Mr. De Sousa appeared to be moving his department in the right direction. The Fraternal Order of Police supported him. Community leaders’ confidence in him increased as he began to tackle Baltimore’s persistent and daunting crime problems by effectively deploying highly visible police officers on the street. Both the commissioner and Mayor Catherine Pugh assured citizens that their new strategies had begun, albeit slowly, to reduce violent crime.

Baltimore’s next commissioner must have free rein to implement necessary changes, to manage the agency internally in order to produce the desired external crime reduction. In addition, the new commissioner must additionally consider and adhere to the recent Consent Decree.

Beyond any doubt, the task is highly challenging. No one should be considered for the job without having been either the top person or the second-in-command of another similar agency. Experiments masquerading as “ideas” or “innovations” amount to a recipe for disaster. Baltimore needs a leader that has already dealt with problems similar to those in our city, one who has combated urban crime, who has familiarity with city neighborhoods, who has encountered organizational change and development and who has achieved success. The new leader must also develop future leaders to achieve continuity and organizational memory. A competent, successful cadre of police commanders is a sine qua non of any organization.

Perhaps Baltimore does need a national search — at this point. Searching the country should not, however, be the norm. The Police Department should normally look from within to promote and develop its own leadership. That must be a priority. It must be the priority moving forward.