TMCnet News
Perlov resigns as Raleigh police chief(News & Observer, The (Raleigh, NC) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Feb. 10--RALEIGH -- The chance to manage national and international security for the nation's second-largest bank was too good for Raleigh Police Chief Jane Perlov to refuse. Perlov became the city's first female chief nine days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She announced her resignation Friday afternoon to join Bank of America in Charlotte as the company's protective services executive. "It's a chance to do something different and challenge myself, to meet new people in a different environment," said Perlov, 50. "I was not unhappy here at all. This is a dream job for police chiefs." Deputy Chief Kent Sholar will act as interim chief when Perlov leaves March 2, said City Manager Russell Allen, who will begin the search for a new replacement. Mayor Charles Meeker said a new chief could come from within the department. Perlov's announcement surprised many city officials, including Meeker. Allen, who said he has known about Perlov's plans since last week, said the chief had turned down earlier offers with police departments in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C. "When I hired her five years ago, I thought she was the best chief in the country," Allen said. "After working with her, I know that." Allen stressed that he did not seek Perlov's resignation. Perlov said none of the bad news stemming from the department over the last year played a role in her decision to leave. One Raleigh officer was fired for shooting a car thief to death while off duty; dozens of others were disciplined for violating off-duty work rules; and revelations that a police sergeant owned crime-ridden rental properties prompted new disclosure rules for officers. "As a police chief in a city this size, you expect there to be issues as you go along," Perlov said. Councilman Philip Isley, who works closely with Perlov as chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee, said he doubted those troubles played into her decision. "I don't really blame her one way or another," Isley said. "That's part of being a leader." Meeker noted that Perlov faced the department's troubles head-on. She initiated the audit of off-duty work that ended with the convictions of two high-ranking officers accused of working other jobs on city time. Meeker also noted that Perlov had faced questions about the rental houses and handled the criticism well. In each instance, Perlov said, the department took swift and direct action. "I think we came out of those things with our heads held high," she said. At the same time, she kept her profile low. When issues such as the rental houses came up, Perlov offered little public explanation, preferring to respond behind the scenes. Many in Raleigh had rarely seen more of Perlov than on Friday -- on her way out. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said Perlov wasn't one to seek the spotlight but that "she knew she served the citizens of Raleigh." Now she will be in a less public role. Perlov will supervise 115 full-time employees in her new position. She'll oversee security and help set policy for about 5,900 bank branches nationally and internationally, including Bank of America's headquarters in Charlotte. Before coming to Raleigh, Perlov spent 18 years with the New York City Police Department, working her way up through the ranks to become a deputy chief in charge of 500 detectives in Queens. She left in 1999 to become Massachusetts' state secretary of public safety. Perlov deflected any notion that she is moving back to "the big leagues" after spending a little over five years as police chief in a growing, yet low-profile North Carolina city. "I wouldn't call Raleigh the minor leagues," Perlov said. "In New York, I was one of many chiefs, and in Boston, I was a cabinet secretary. There are only so many police chief jobs in the country. This has to be one of the best." Perlov declined to say how she landed the position with Bank of America, noting only that an opportunity "came my way" over "a pretty short time period." Perlov began her professional career in 1981 as a social worker and became a police officer after detectives she had met on the job goaded her into taking the civil service exam. She said she has never planned her career. "It just fell into place," she said. "This [new job] came at the right time." Perlov's time in Raleigh has been longer than the average tenure for a metropolitan police chief. But her five years here haven't all been kind to her. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2004 and spent the next six months undergoing medical treatment while juggling her position as chief. Perlov said neither her illness nor money led to her departure. She makes $136,981 a year as Raleigh's chief; she declined to say what Bank of America will pay her. As for what she left undone, Perlov pointed particularly to how the department deals with terrorism and gangs. "Those are part of the challenges that lie ahead," she said. "There's always more stuff to do." Perlov said she is proud that she's leaving a department that has seen a 33 percent drop in serious crimes such as rape, robbery, homicide, larceny and burglaries. Perlov did not hesitate when asked what she will miss most about Raleigh. "I will miss the people," she said. "It's a really warm community. I'll miss that." (News researcher Lamara Williams Hackett contributed to this report.) Staff writer Thomasi McDonald can be reached at 829-4533 or [email protected] Copyright (c) 2007, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |