Prosecutor's Office Recommends Davis for Acting Chief Role

In a memo sent to Springfield officials and employees, Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow recommended that Springfield police Captain Peter Davis be promoted to Acting Chief of Police.

Last month, the Prosecutor's office assumed control of Springfield's police department after Davis, the highest-ranking member of the force, announced his retirement from the force and resignation from his leadership position. Davis's resignation came after a much-discussed executive meeting discussion of Davis's future with the force where the Township Committee declined to name Davis acting chief. He later returned to the department. 

In the memo, Romankow advises Springfield's government to appoint an acting chief "without delay." Davis, he says, should have the position, as "no other member of the Department appears to have the requisite skills."

Springfield Mayor Ziad Shehady said the recommendation came as a surprise. Shahady said the township expected the County to advise the Committee on hiring and promoting procedures, "not recommendations on who should be promoted to what."

The memo says that after the retirement of former police Chief William Chisholm earlier this year, the department was left without any command structure. Romankow writes there was no command structure to support Davis as officer in charge, and as a result he had to perform the duties of the chief, deputy chief, captain and Lieutenant.

"Remarkably, Captain Davis was able to do this successfully as evidenced by the increased morale within the department, the decrease in sick days utilized and the overtime costs minimized," Romankow writes in the memo, adding that Davis has been the "ultimate professional" in performing his duties.

In earlier comments to Patch, Shehady contested crediting Davis with such improvements, asserting instead that the absence of unpopular Chief Chisholm improved the mood and circumstances at the department.

Springfield Deputy Mayor Bart Fraenkel, who has been a vocal supporter of Davis, said the memo echoed many of his own statements on Davis.

"I'm glad we have an independent third party coming to this conclusion," Fraenkel said. He noted that he had been in contact with Captain Carl Riley of the Prosecutor's office since Riley took charge of Springfield's force and that Riley's observations have been positive.

Shehady said he agreed with the memo's call for changes to the command structure of the force and noted that the Township is looking to hire and promote more officers. The Township Committee will vote on reinstating the position of Lieutenant, which had been eliminated several years ago as a cost cutting measure, at their meeting tonight. Also, the Committee members are slated to interview candidates for the position of Public Safety director tonight.

Nonetheless, Shehady noted that the recommendation was not binding and that the Township government was responsible for appointing an acting chief.

"We appreciate the recommendation," Shehady said. "We're going to take it under advisement and discuss it at a future meeting."

Fraenkel said he was disappointed that the Township Committee would not be following the County's advice to immediately instate Davis as acting chief.

"It's disheartening," Fraenkel said. "This is not how it's supposed to operate."