PORTSMOUTH
Chief Edward Long, who headed the police department since September 2006, resigned effective immediately, the city manager’s office announced Tuesday evening.
The brief announcement, sent by e-mail at 5:55 p.m., stated only that City Manager Kenneth L. Chandler “would like to thank Chief Long for his years of service to the City of Portsmouth.”
Lt. Col. Harry “Skip” Fremd will succeed Long as interim chief, the announcement stated; it said that more details would come today.
Long did not return a message seeking comment that was left on his cell phone.
In November, members of the city’s Fraternal Order of Police passed a no-confidence vote on the chief. Members said they were concerned about the chief’s decisions on promotions, transfers and day-to-day operations.
“The FOP had its differences with him, but we always respected him as a person,” said Jim Swan, the FOP president.
He recalled that when officer Richard Spaulding died on the job in 2005, Long, then the acting chief, was en route to Atlanta to see family. Long quickly returned to Portsmouth. “He’s done things like that throughout his career. I think he had the best interest of his people in mind,” Swan said.
The chief’s successor will have to address problems with morale, low pay and retention of officers, Swan predicted. On Monday night, more than 200 people, many of them officers, marched to the traffic circle by City Hall to support raises for police.
Anne Bremer, public safety coordinator for the Shea Terrace Civic League, said a change of leadership was needed.
“I think there’s been tremendous dissatisfaction within the police ranks for quite some time,” she said.
Jason Knorowski, president of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, said the announcement caught him by surprise. His phone was ringing off the hook just after 6 p.m. as word spread to members, he said.
“We definitely wish Chief Long and his family the best as he departs the city,” Knorowski said.
The department has had a succession of leaders, Knorowski said, in the past decade. “It kills morale,” he said. “There is really no stability. We need to have stability at the top and quality leadership.”
Bremer said the city should seek “somebody who has a commitment to the Tidewater area.”
Said Swan: “Take enough time to pick the right person, but don’t drag it out too long.”
Long was a police officer in Atlanta for about 20 years. He worked in Dayton, Ohio, and spent six years in Washington, D.C., at a security company. He was chief with the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority before he came to Portsmouth in 1999 as assistant chief.
He served as interim chief before being named chief in September 2006.
His departure is part of an ongoing makeover of Portsmouth’s top management.
City spokeswoman Monique Bass confirmed Tuesday that Deputy City Manager Dr. Lydia Patton announced her intention to retire. For the past six years, she has overseen the departments of parks and recreation, social services, museums and behavioral healthcare services, among others.
Councilman Steve Heretick pointed out that Patton is the longest-serving member of the city’s executive staff. Since Chandler became city manager in June, both deputy city managers have announced their retirements. In the fall, the city’s chief financial officer, Lance Wolff, resigned, and Communications Director Ken Wheeler retired. Portsmouth’s chief of staff, maritime consultant and director of managerial services also left.
Only a handful of city departments have the same leadership as a year ago. And Patton’s departure means only a few long-serving managers remain in city government. Patton had worked for the city for 22 years.
Staff writers Meghan Hoyer and Jen McCaffery contributed to this report.
Matthew Roy, (757) 446-2540 matthew.roy@pilotonline.com
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The truth of the matter is....
Kitzerow (aka KidZero) was a power mad egotist with a thing for the ladies. An in depth investigative report would show that more officers (supervisors) went on extended sick leave or retired on stress related disability during his brief employment than ever before in PPD history. Long (aka Big Juicy) was a "nice guy" but was incompetent as an administrator. More grievances were filed against him for disciplinary actions that he handed out that were eventually overturned in favor of the officers involved. The best shot at a good chief Portsmouth ever had was Karl Morrisette. He had the experience, the education, and the savvy to run the PPD like it should be. Unfortunately someone in City Hall dropped the ball and went with Long for chief. "You reap what you sow" has never rung more true.
re: It's past time for change!
Addressing the comment Submitted by bigmike1 on Wed, 05/07/2008 at 6:10 am.
Crime ridden Police and Sheriff Departments? Please elaborate.
You really don't know what you're talking about. The PPD has dedicated thousands of man-hours investigating the Landowski case. And just because a suspect has yet to be announced, doesn't mean there isn't one. It is a very technical and complex investigation. Unfortunately, not all murders are solved. Does that make the investigative body handling the matter inept?
Time for change? Tell ya what, knowitall, carry a badge, carry a gun--if you can pass the entry process and the background investigation--and lead the way!
Anne Bremer.......
....please enlighting me on what this women from Shea Terrace would know or have a clue about the Police Dept of Portsmouth!!!!!!
its no easy position
Let's see,
The least paid police officers in the area.
The highest crime in the area
A mayor and City Council who rather have pet construction projects than a safe city. One project cost could add new positions and get raises.
How many millions is Portsmouth going to borrow so private buisness can have buildings built and paid for by citizen's taxes.
Who wants to run a department that is set up to fail.
Dr. Lydia Patton
Dr Patton's retirement is a huge loss for the city. She is one of the most passionate, gracious, capable people the City of Portsmouth has ever had. We will miss you Dr. Patton. Good Luck!
Mixed Feelings
Wow, anyone else want to jump on the band wagon to push the Chief out of the city? Chief Long is a very caring individual, but not everyone is leadership material. Chief, I wish you well.
I'm guessing that lw is a Portsmouth Police Officer who has his tail feathers in an uproar due to the sheriff's department assisting the police department. You need to mend your damaged ego and admit that the sheriff's department and the police department working together has made a difference in Portsmouth. That being said, who died and left Ms. Bremer as spokesperson for the police department??
HIghest Crime Rate
Heck, Portsmouth has the highest crime rate on the southside...What does that tell you? Someone, with some fortitude, needs to come in and really clean the place up!
It Must Be Christmas
Elizabeth and Steve got reelected and Charles was elected to the Council. To top that off Lydia Patton is finally retiring. The City will be so much better without her.
What is the problem with Portsmouth ?
Portsmouth does not seem able to hold on to a Police Chief and/or a Fire Chief for any length of time. Maybe it is time to have a new City Manager?
Goodbye!!!!
Hey, need any help packing?????
It would be nice if the Pilot would explain
why they put some posters on required approval from the staff before the comments are posted.
It's past time for change!
Portsmouth has had corruption and turmoil for long enough. As much history and as many beautiful places there are in P-town, are completely ruined by the crime ridden Police and Sheriff departments. The high number of cold case murder files in P-town, recently reported on by the Pilot, is proof that it's well past time to shake up the city law enforcement and government. The recent brutal (and after four weeks, still no suspect) murder of Meghan Landowski is more proof of the problems in P-town. I find it hard to believe her murder was random, given the hatred shown by the brutality displayed by the way she was killed (if the rumors are true). Is PPD just triping over the obvious? Or is there a random killer at still at large, meaning that PPD should be sending out warnings to their citizens? Portsmouth has a lot to offer if they could get a grip on the run away crime and violence in the city. The only way to do that is to change the leadership, but it seems that yesterday the citizens of P-town are content with corruption with the re-election of their mayor.
from a deputy
IW, Before you come on here bashing the sheriffs dept and the police you need to be educated on a few things. First of all there are different certification levels of deputies, you have your jailers who go thru a specific academy, you have court security who goes thru a different academy, and you have the law enforcement certified deputies which complete the exact same academy that the police officers do. we have the same state certification, we just wear different uniforms. When I went thru radar school (yes i am state certified) guess who else was in the class? Police officers, immagine that. I would like to see you get pulled over by a deputy and tell him that he is not certified to do his job. I would love to be in court for that one. One thing is for sure, any deputy that you see on the road running radar, doing investigations, or taking calls is well trained and certified by the state to do the job. For many of us, this is not our first rodeo. we didnt just appear from the sky. Many of us have prior police and military law enforcement experience. The next time you want to sit here and bash my brothers in brown and blue get up out of your recliner and do some research.
What's the full story #2
I agree. I wish there was more to this story. Or is that a list of his and the city's accomplishments at the end?
GLAD HE IS GONE!!!
It is OK that Long is LONG gone or will be. Ever since he took over, the Portsmouth sheriffs department has had to do double duty. The police dept has given up duties that they should have been performing and that has give the ego maniac Watson free reign to basically take control of both the sheriffs dept and the police dept. We need a new chief that will be similar to the one that left prior to Long. Kitzerow didnt give up territory, he had the sheriff(Watson and Waters, before him doing funerals and watching the jail and courts like they should be and are chartered to do. Now, the sheriffs are doing drug task force work, working radar and many other functions that the police should be doing. They are not properly trained to do this work. (Remember last month when 2 sheriffs deputies shot one another by (accident) This was truly because the Police Chief of Portsmouth has stopped trying and given up the duties he was sworn to perform. I hope Manager Chandler can see fit to hire a Chief that can put Watson in his place at the jail, courthouse, and escorting funerals
What's the full story?
Certainly he failed with all the murders and deaths in Portsmouth. He failed the citizens, we know that much and now we need to know the full story
let's get some continuity
The Portsmouth Police Department has been a revolving door for police chiefs. There is a real problem when you cannot keep quality officers. The list of recent chiefs speak volumes to Portsmouth practices in City Hall. Why is it that our tax money is not appropriated in the way that best suits the citizens? Instead of using money to retain good police officers, money is spent on NTelos, TodiFest, and other rediculous projects. Pilot reporting just documented the troubles with NTelos and Todi doesn't even have a CEO! But Portsmouth powers that be keep funding them. I hope that taxpayers voices are heard on election day and we get these bloodsuckers out of office. Pay the police officers and give them a reason to stay. Other cities are recognizing the quality officers from Portsmouth and are scooping them up. I don't blame them for going to a city where they know they are appreciated, at least every two weeks. Pay them and maybe we can have a chief stick around long enough to make a difference. BG said he would stick around, but like every other chief, he is hitting the road. It's the same old story, with different players. It's really getting old!