Pubdate: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 Source: News & Observer (NC) Copyright: 2001 The News and Observer Publishing Company Contact: http://www.news-observer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304 Author: Oren Dorell, Staff Writer TERRORISM ON MIND OF RALEIGH'S NEW CHIEF Security Of Buildings To Be Reviewed RALEIGH -- The city's new police chief, Jane Perlov, took office Monday with a promise to pay attention to the little things to fight crime and with a vow to make sure terrorist attacks don't happen here. "Like everyone else in the world, it reminds us that we have to be really vigilant and can't be lax," Perlov said in an interview Monday night. " 'It can't happen here' will be banished forever from our vocabulary." As chief, she plans to order assessments of security at municipal buildings, the department's readiness to respond to terrorism, its rapid response plans, whether training exercises are being done and whether the communication system can withstand a major incident. She also wants to look into the department's intelligence capability. Perlov, who spent the past three years as secretary of public safety for Massachusetts and the previous 18 years in the New York City Police Department, is Raleigh's first female top cop. The half-hour ceremony had a bittersweet feeling as some speakers noted their solidarity with New Yorkers who lost colleagues, friends and family members in last week's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. "Each of us knows that you must come to Raleigh with a heavy heart," Mayor Paul Coble told Perlov (pronounced PERL-ov) as he introduced her. "We add our condolences to you and every person who suffered a loss in such a horrific atrocity." Perlov's husband, Robert Maas, said the couple lost three friends when the twin towers collapsed on about 5,000 people, including more than 300 firefighters and police officers. Maas, a retired New York police sergeant, held the Bible during Perlov's swearing-in and pinned a shiny new badge on her blue Raleigh police uniform. "It's been hell," he said later about the past week, during which the couple watched television news 12 hours a day and woke early and stayed up late to check on friends by phone. But he insisted that Monday was still "a joyous occasion." "On the one hand, we didn't really feel like celebrating, but we felt that by not, we'd let them win," Maas said, referring to the terrorists. Perlov, 44, made a short statement to about 200 police officers, city staffers and Triangle law enforcement officials who attended her swearing-in at City Hall. "I am energized by the enthusiasm of the people of this great city," she said. "This past week many people asked, 'Why put on a uniform again, how can you?' " she said. "My answer was very simple, and that was, 'How can I not?' " Perlov vowed that her department will take the initiative to fight crime. "When one window in a building is broken and left unrepaired, it's a sign that nobody cares, and pretty soon all the windows will be broken," she said. Perlov developed a reputation in New York City as a hard-nosed commander who successfully reached out to the community as she led the 30th Precinct in Harlem from 1995 to 1997. She took over about six months after 30 officers were arrested for shaking down some drug dealers and cooperating with others for drugs and money. Her mandate was to improve relations with residents of the precinct, which has a population roughly the size of Raleigh. On the streets, she was nicknamed "Miss Lockdown" for her penchant for blocking off neighborhoods and arresting people for every minor infraction in her campaign against drug dealers. She was also hailed for her ability to pull together various city agencies. That skill was cited by public safety officials in Massachusetts after she coordinated the state's response when six firefighters died fighting a warehouse fire in Worcester in 1999. Her reputation as a leader is what impressed Raleigh police Lt. Al White. "I'm looking forward to the teamwork, the leadership she's going to bring," he said. David E. Jones, executive director of the Governor's Crime Commission, said Perlov "sounds like she's going to be a real go-getter, down to earth, a real believer in community policing." Jones commented as Durham Police Chief Teresa Chambers congratulated Perlov after the ceremony. Five women now lead state and local law enforcement agencies in the Triangle. "We've come a long way," he said. Perlov said she's eager to get started. She spent her first day on the job meeting with the three majors who answer to her and with several captains, touring the police building and meeting employees. Meeting her officers, city residents and community leaders is a priority in her early days. Perlov planned to attend the funeral of Clayton police Lt. Monica Carey in Wilmington this morning and her first City Council meeting tonight. On Wednesday, she will visit officers at the Litchford Village Substation and will attend a public meeting at Lake Lynn in North Raleigh. And a still-unscheduled meeting is being planned for Southeast Raleigh, said Jayne Kirkpatrick, the city's spokeswoman. "We want to make sure that the people who are going to need her more get an opportunity to meet her," Kirkpatrick said. City Manager Russell Allen, who hired her, predicted that Perlov's experience with diverse communities and cutting-edge techniques will benefit the city as it grows. "I'm very excited," he said. "She's going to do a terrific job. She's a chief for our future. ... And I think we got one of the most passionate police officers in the country." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake