ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 7, 1997 TAG: 9703070071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI THE ROANOKE TIMES
John Cease trades better pay for a new challenge in becoming the new police chief in Wilmington, N.C.
Roanoke County Police Chief John Cease accepted the top law enforcement post in Wilmington, N.C., on Thursday, saying he could not pass up a challenge to supervise a growing city police department.
"It's the right size community," Cease said during a news conference at the Roanoke County Police Department. "I did not want to go to a large, large city. Geographically, it was well situated."
Cease came here nearly seven years ago to become the first chief of the county's police department. A new department was an enticing challenge for a career law enforcement officer, he said in 1990.
Taking the next step in his professional journey, Cease moves to a larger, urban department with more drug-related crime. He will remain in his current job until April 7.
Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge announced a transitional team that will direct the department in Cease's absence. The three highest ranking officers from the Police Department and Hodge's assistant administrator are on the team.
Candidates for the chief's position will be sought from a national search expected to take up to three months. Hodge said county officials will look for candidates who can continue to build strong ties with surrounding police departments and who are knowledgable about the national accreditation process.
Roanoke County is a member of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a national organization that standardizes police policies and procedures. When Cease was hired in 1990, he pushed for, and successfully attained, national accreditation for the department.
In 1992, Roanoke County became the first agency in Southwestern Virginia to achieve that goal.
Since becoming a police officer in 1968, Cease's strength has been in the organization and professionalization of departments.
After five years with the Albion Police Department in his home state of Michigan, Cease helped set up a new law enforcement agency at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
In 1983, he was selected as chief of police in Morgantown, W.Va., where he was credited with enlarging that department, improving its training and computerizing its records.
Roanoke County's suburban/urban landscape, and its newly established police department, was a perfect vehicle for Cease. He came at a time of change, when voters had taken law enforcement responsibilities away from the sheriff's office by creating a police department.
He pulled the Police Department together "from nothing," said Capt. Ray Lavinder, who heads the criminal investigations division and sits on the transition team.
"He held it together," Lavinder said. "He worked with all of us. He got us accredited. We are an excellent police department and we owe that to him."
In Wilmington, Cease faces similar challenges, but in a a densely populated and diverse community faced with issues he has not confronted in Roanoke County. Thirty percent of the city's 62,000 people are minorities, compared with 4 percent in Roanoke County.
Cease will lead a department of 157 officers - 56 more than he supervises now. But he will contend with a rocky history regarding promotions. In Wilmington, about one-fourth of the officers are minorities, but none of them holds a position over the rank of sergeant.
"The challenge is going to be in-house, but he's probably used to that," said Wilmington Mayor Don Betz. "He's a professional cop. They should be able to identify with that. He seems to be pro-active and used a collection of agencies to attack drugs."
Drug trafficking and drug-related crime are Wilmington's No. 1 problem, according to city officials. Crack cocaine has invaded the 32-square mile city on Cape Fear in southern North Carolina.
Wilmington City Council approved Cease's appointment Thursday morning in a 4-3 vote. Betz, one of the members who voted against Cease, said part of his concern was Cease's reticence to commit to the job. As late as Monday, Cease had not told City Council members that he would definitely take the position.
On Tuesday, Cease faxed seven pages of questions to City Manager Mary Gornto. He flew to Wilmington on Wednesday to discuss more than 70 questions with her.
He returned here Thursday morning with a new job.
``I came back today and all of a sudden the realization sunk in that `You've made the commitment, you're going, you've made the announcement,''' Cease said. ``I am close to my people. I've got the best people I've ever worked with here. Boy, I'll tell you, it's tough to leave.''
Cease will take a $1,400 pay cut in his new job, making an annual salary of $72,000.
His departure comes as another valley police department is undergoing transition. Roanoke Police Chief M. David Hooper has been on medical leave for two months and is being treated for what city officials describe as a serious illness. Major J.L. Viar has been appointed acting chief.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Cease. color. Graphic: Map. color.by CNB