DeKalb County CEO Lee May today announced that the police chief hired just eight months ago to reform the department would be elevated to a newly created position similar to one recently eliminated because May considered it unnecessary, financially wasteful, problematic and too prone to being politicized.
To keep Chief Cedric Alexander from jumping ship to his old berth in Rochester, NY, May said he was promoting him to a new position of deputy chief operating officer for public safety which is akin to the public safety director position that was eliminated after reports the former director obstructed a criminal investigation.
That director, William “Wiz” Miller, retired in February after prosecutors executed search warrants at the home and offices of now-suspended CEO Burrell Ellis, who faces corruption charges.
May acknowledged Tuesday that the promotion — which puts Alexander over all public safety — was at odds with his former position but contended Alexander would be an asset in the post.
Alexander has already brought stability to the troubled department, which has suffered from morale because of pay issues and because of the bad publicity brought by the indictment of several officers in recent years, May said.
“He is a great example of what we need to be doing,” May said. “He has come in as a trailblazer and has brought stability to the police department.”
The new job comes with a $8,000 pay raise.
The new chief, former Deputy Chief James Conroy, will get a $162,000 salary, which is what Alexander was paid when he held that post.
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