N.J. POLICE SUPERINTENDENT IS FIRED

TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Christie Whitman fired the head of the New
Jersey State Police on Sunday after he said in a newspaper interview
that minority groups were more likely to be involved in drug
trafficking.

The Black Ministers Council of New Jersey and the state chapter of the
NAACP had been calling for State Police Superintendent Col. Carl
Williams' ouster for weeks, saying he was not acknowledging a history
of racist procedures on the part of the State Police.

Whitman said Sunday the state's law enforcement system must be carried
out free of bias. She said Williams' comments "are inconsistent with
our efforts to enhance public confidence in the State Police."

Her spokesman, Pete McDonough, said Williams' comments were the last
straw in an already hostile situation between minorities and police
officers.

Williams has come under fire over allegations that the agency
practices racial profiling, targeting minorities for traffic stops.

In an interview with The Star-Ledger of Newark published Sunday,
Williams said he did not condone racial profiling, but said it is
naive to think race is not an issue in drug crimes.

"Two weeks ago, the president of the United States went to Mexico to
talk to the president of Mexico about drugs. He didn't go to Ireland.
He didn't go to England," Williams said.

"Today with this drug problem, the drug problem is cocaine or
marijuana. It is most likely a minority group that's involved with
that," said Williams.

Williams, 58, has repeatedly said he has never condoned racial
profiling. But he told the newspaper some generalizations can be made.

"If you're looking at the metamphetamine market, that seems to be
controlled by the motorcycle gangs, which are basically predominantly
white," he said. "If you're looking at heroin and stuff like that,
your involvement there is more or less Jamaicans."

McDonough said Williams' comments were unacceptable.

"The comments were insensitive and absolutely counter to bolstering
confidence in law enforcement," McDonough said. "There are vast
segments of the New Jersey public whose confidence in the system is
shaken."

Last week, The Associated Press reported that the Justice Department's
Civil Rights Division had been investigating the New Jersey State
Police for two years.

Williams was not immediately available for comment, and a state police
spokesman, John Hagerty, did not return messages.