RYAN SEEKS NEW IDEAS FOR CRIME, DRUG FIGHTS

Previous Strategies Are Not Working, Mayor Says

BINGHAMTON - The city's next police chief must have new and creative
ideas for fighting crime, Mayor Matthew T. Ryan said Wednesday.

While he gave no indication about whom he would appoint to replace
outgoing Binghamton Police Chief John Butler, Ryan told the Press &
Sun-Bulletin editorial board that fighting crime - especially the drug
problem - will continue to be challenging with no easy solution.
Butler plans to leave in March to become chief in neighboring Vestal.

"We have one of the best police forces in the whole state," said Ryan,
a former assistant Broome County public defender. "But with the
strategies we're using now, drugs are not going to go away. There's
always a drug dealer to replace the drug dealer that just got
arrested. If you really want to talk about drugs, then you better be
ready for a much deeper debate about how we're going to change what
we're doing."

But Ryan declined to say what needs to change to get rid of the drug
problem, suggesting the newspaper should begin the debate. "As a
community, we have to have a debate about what is working and what is
not working," Ryan said. "The police have the tools to do their jobs,
but there's too much drug activity. One thing you could ask is why do
we always arrest the small drug dealer on the corner and why isn't
there any targeting on the users."

Arresting drug users would mean going after people known throughout
the community, Ryan said. He questioned the "political will" to go
after the drug users.

Butler could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Ryan also said he would talk to potential police chief candidates
about getting police out of their cars more often and getting to know
the people in the neighborhood, which he said is a more proactive
approach to policing.

Craig Follett, president of the Binghamton Police Benevolent
Association, said police officers must adjust anytime there's a change
in administration. However, he said, the police force will try to work
together with whomever Ryan appoints as the new chief.

The PBA represents the Binghamton Police Bureau's unionized
officers.

"John Butler had a different approach than (former police Chief Joseph
D.) Lynch," Follett said. "But we learned to work with Butler very
well. If the new police chief makes a change we think is not right,
we'll sit down with him or her and come to an agreement."

Ryan also said that reducing crime depends on revitalizing the local
economy and bringing more jobs to Greater Binghamton. During the
meeting, which lasted more than an hour, Ryan reiterated several of
the highlights from last week's State of the City address. Topics
included his neighborhood assemblies initiative, streamlining
government operations, upgrading the city's Web site, making the
Binghamton Local Development Corporation (BLDC) more active in issuing
loans, and changing the public perception of the city's future.