Commissioner salary not too much — if he’s held accountable

The $275,000 salary for Baltimore’s next police commissioner not only sounds like, but actually is, a very significant number (“Proposed $275,000 salary for Baltimore police commissioner pick would be significant bump from recent chiefs,” Feb. 5).

But take that in context. The next commissioner needs to restore integrity to the agency; reorganize it to maximize effectiveness while reducing some costs, fill its existing vacancies to full and effective strength, reduce the violence which results in far too many people being killed in the streets, re-earn the trust of the law-abiding citizens, placate the fears of the city’s clergy, build a true working relationship with the mayor and the administration and effectively continue to implement the consent decree. If he can do this all while changing the seemingly prevalent attitude among too many of the city’s residents of “hands off” policing, he would be well worth every penny of that $275,000.

The next commissioner should be held accountable to reach certain goals in a specific amount of time. The goals should be realistic, and constructed with the participation of the new commissioner and he or she should agree to them. For example, a goal could be a reduction in homicides of 30 percent within two years, achieving full staffing of patrol within three years, reducing overtime by x percent in y number of years, full implementation of the consent decree in x number of years.

In any case, the next commissioner will have his or her hands very full, with a very full plate of problems to address and correct. I suggest that everyone pray for that person, prayer seems to help.

Robert Di Stefano, Abingdon

The writer is a retired major with the Baltimore City Police Department.