JUSTICE DEPARTMENT Experts from elsewhere to aid in probe of police
One consultant is the past president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
WARREN -- The former police chief of the Albuquerque, N.M., Police Department and the current chief of the Palm Bay, Fla., Police Department will be two consultants helping the U.S. Justice Department's investigation of the city's police department.
Atty. Greg Hicks, city law director, released the r & eacute;sum & eacute;s of Chief William B. Berger of Palm Bay and Joseph M. Polisar, now of California, after a public records request from The Vindicator.
Hicks said he was advised by the Justice Department earlier this month that the men would be consulting with the Justice Department officials.
Allegations surface
The Justice Department began investigating the police department in January after numerous allegations of illegal strip searches and excessive force by officers. Officials from the department will meet with city officials April 4, Hicks said.
"I believe these men might be coming with the officials since I did receive their r & eacute;sum & eacute;s," Hicks said.
The Justice Department is expected to review allegations of excessive force and illegal strip searches, said Thomas Conley, CEO of the Warren-Trumbull Urban League.
Berger is the past president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a worldwide organization with more than 20,000 members. He also was voted twice as the Florida Police Chief of the Year by the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
Berger, who also has a law degree, spent 15 years on the city of Miami police force. He was commander of that department's training unit for two years.
Polisar retired from the Albuquerque police department in 1997 after 21 years.
He was the 1995 recipient of the Albuquerque Human Rights Award for his efforts to reach out to minority communities to help improve police community relations. He also received the 1996 NAACP Martin Luther King Jr., Keep the Dream Alive Award for his efforts in improving the relationship between the Albuquerque Police Department and the black community.
Hicks said he was not advised by officials exactly what they will be doing when they arrive in April.
He said officials will meet with him and some members of the city and police administration.