Richmond, Va., city officials don't want to lose their police chief.
They credit Rodney Monroe, one of three finalists for Charlotte's top police job, with reducing crime dramatically in his three years there.
They say he's personable, tough, and has worked through the challenges of Richmond's urban poverty in a systematic way. They love what he's done to bring police officers closer to their communities.
"We think the world of Rodney Monroe," said Bill Pantele, president of Richmond's city council. "He's a great professional. He's a great guy. We'd like to keep him."
Monroe, 50, began his law enforcement career with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, where he worked for more than two decades and rose to become assistant chief. He was police chief in Macon, Ga. before moving to Richmond in 2005. The police force there has 750 sworn officers and 250 civilian employees.
He did not return phone calls or respond to an e-mail request for an interview Tuesday.
Those who have watched Monroe work say he's likeable, soft-spoken and brings energy to the police force. In Richmond, they applaud his "sector policing" program which uses crime mapping to deploy officers in places and times of the day that crimes happen.
The system makes commanders particularly accountable for their geographic sections of the city, council members said. The commanders must report to the chief each month on various topics, including the community meetings they attended, their priorities for the future, and the results from their previous month's plan, Pantele said.
He and Kathy Graziano, another council member, said the system makes sure the police engage in a rapport with residents.
"He's got his lieutenants very, very responsible for their areas," she said.
Graziano recalls going on a police ride-along before Monroe joined the department. When the police car approached children on the street, they would run away, she said. The department's "close rate" for cases was low, she said, because people weren't helping the police solve crimes.
That has all changed, she said: "Now the citizens trust the police."
A search of news stories shows that Richmond ended 2007 with the lowest number of homicides in 26 years. It also dropped off the nation's "25 most dangerous cities" list.
Monroe's experience in Macon was more troubled. The U.S. Attorney's Office revealed this week that it is looking into a grant program that the Macon police department administered during Monroe's tenure.
About $350,000 of the $1 million federal grant was misused, according to a letter to the city from Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Johstono. The letter says the federal government has grounds to sue the city. It doesn't name Monroe, but mentions a former mayor.
Howard Simms, the district attorney who serves Macon, has investigated financial issues in the city. He says he does not believe Monroe was involved.
"I liked Rodney a lot ...," Simms said. "He never did anything to make me believe that he was doing anything wrong over there."
