Can anyone lead Portsmouth police?

Portsmouth is a city with many aspirations. But its chief one, at the moment, should be figuring out how to find - and keep - a quality police chief.

The revolving door at the Police Department took another untimely whirl this week. The latest one through the exit is William Corvello, a widely respected figure among Virginia law enforcement officers. He abruptly resigned Monday as the city's interim police chief, less than four months after accepting the role.

The announcement caught many Portsmouth leaders by surprise, including Commonwealth's Attorney Earle C. Mobley, who lamented that he's now on his way to working with the city's eighth chief in six years.

In his resignation letter, Corvello - who retired as superintendent of the Virginia State Police in 1992 - cited several reasons for deciding to depart Portsmouth earlier than anticipated.

Some of Corvello's dissatisfaction apparently stemmed from simple misunderstandings, including a dispute with the city attorney that reportedly has been cleared up.

But the general tone of his letter is clear: He sensed an erosion of support at City Hall and decided he'd rather return to retirement.

Corvello inherited the department in May, one day after Chief Edward Long tendered his resignation and ended a tumultuous three years at the helm. In November, the Fraternal Order of Police had given Long a vote of no confidence.

City officials and police officers say Corvello's arrival quickly boosted morale. He's also credited with resolving long-standing conflicts in the department and winning support for overdue organizational changes.

But when a public servant of Corvello's stature and experience leaves in this fashion, it's obviously cause for alarm. Or, in Portsmouth's case, yet another cause for alarm.

The City Council needs to delve into the details of Corvello's concerns, including Sheriff Bill Watson's role in policing crime-ridden neighborhoods. The sheriff's program was meant to augment, not undermine, the Police Department, and the council needs to ensure that's the case.

Clearly, there's something seriously awry when a city can't even manage to hold onto an interim police chief. And it's rather telling that the city hadn't even begun a search for Corvello's replacement until this week, even though he intended his stay to last only a few months.

When Corvello agreed to take the job this spring, he told The Pilot that his fondness for Portsmouth stretched back to his early days working in the city as a state trooper.

"There's just something special about Portsmouth that engaged me, that I enjoy," he said.

The job obviously has lost its allure. Portsmouth leaders need to figure out how to restore it, or they risk losing the progress they've made revitalizing the city in recent years.