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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD The mayor-elect called the discussion and the decision of the Finance Control Board to appoint a search committee to find a new Police Commissioner "a farce." Domenic Sarno said the FCB's decisions at the Thursday meeting was "tying the hands of the in-coming mayor." Sarno said the FCB did not have the legal right to select the new commissioner. He cited an ordinance approved in 2005 by the FCB that gives the mayor the sole responsibility of appointing a new commissioner. Sarno was told that the legislation that created the FCB superceded that ordinance. In a letter Sarno had, District Attorney William Bennett was noted as supporting that legal interpretation. In response to the decision Sarno said he would "review all of options and added that he has been meeting with the leadership of the Legislature "and they control the purse strings." At the meeting, Mayor Charles Ryan made a motion the board hire Deputy Chief William Fitchet as the new Police Commissioner. Sarno has expressed his support of Fitchet. Both men urged the FCB to skip a nation-wide search and hire the long-time police officer who served seven months as the city's top cop before Edward Flynn was hired. The FCB, though, voted three to two in favor of instituting a search committee charged with recommending a finalist to be approved by Feb. 28. Voting against the search committee motion were Ryan and City Council President Kateri Walsh. FCB member James Morton expressed his respect for Ryan, but said his vote was not against Ryan's motion or Fitchet, but rather for what the search process can do for the citizens of Springfield. "We have to have a mechanism for the selection of the leadership in our city," Morton explained. "The citizenry needs to have confidence about department heads." FCB Chair Christopher Gabrieli said a search process would "de-politicize" the selection of a new police commissioner. Within two weeks, five search party members will be named, Gabrieli said. They will be able to use a consultant to help recruit the candidates. The five-member committee will include one member from the FCB, one city resident or business owner, one former police chief, one civilian involved in law enforcement and one person designated by Sarno. During the speak-out period of the meeting, Sarno, Carlos Gonzalez, the president of the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce and long-time police critic Rev. Talbot Swan II all spoke in favor Fitchet's appointment. Ryan made an impassioned address detailing why he thought Fitchet should be offered the job. He recalled how the former board followed the recommendations of two consultants about changes that had to be made at the Police Department and that Fitchet, as the interim chief following the departure of Chief Paula Meara, put many of those recommendations in place. Ryan lauded Fitchet by saying, "The gains we made in those seven months were substantial." "We're lucky Chief Fitchet is here," he added. He said Fitchet's appointment would provide something the city and the Police Department needs: continuity of leadership. Recalling the search process, he said the five final candidates were Flynn, Fitchet, Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott, the police chief of Pittsburgh, PA, and a member of the New York City Police Department upper management. Fitchet would have been police commissioner had it not been for Flynn, Ryan said. The unanimous decision to select Flynn was made by Ryan, former FCB Executive Director Philip Puccia and City Councilor Jose Tosado. Ryan said the three men were not under any pressure from Gov. Mitt Romney to hire Flynn. The group used the criteria of integrity, leadership skills, goals and knowledge of Springfield and commitment to make their selection, Ryan said. He noted that one of those criteria didn't work out with Flynn: commitment. Fitchet is a "known commodity," Ryan said. He noted ruefully that as mayor he was "Exhibit A" as someone who had experienced "an unknown commodity." |