POLICE INTEND TO PURSUE FACTS 'VIGOROUSLY'

Chief: Officer's Breach Of Public Trust Affects All

Biloxi police officers, stunned by a co-worker's arrest on Ecstasy charges,
will keep their chins up and hope they're not judged for his alleged
mistake, said Police Chief Bruce Dunagan.

The arrest Thursday of K-9 Officer Darrell D. Cvitanovich Jr. casts a cloud
of suspicion not only on the Biloxi Police Department, but on law
enforcement officers nationwide, said Dunagan.

News of the 14-year officer's arrest came while police officials from
around the state were in Biloxi for a training conference of the
Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police. Part of the training involved
professional standards and discipline of officers who fall short.

"Like in any other profession, people are human and the vast majority are
good citizens. Our men and women are professionals and well-trained," said
Dunagan. "His arrest is not going to deter us from doing our job. We can't
do it any differently. But it's going to be up to the public to decide how
they will look upon us in the future."

Cvitanovich, 35, has made headlines before, using his police dog to chase
criminal suspects.

But this time, he is accused of selling Ecstasy and having Ecstasy in his
Biloxi beachfront home. The residence is the home of his father, D.D.
Cvitanovich Sr., a retired state trooper who was Biloxi police chief from
1989 to 1993.

Biloxi narcotics officers joined the investigation about two weeks ago
after the Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team received information of
Cvitanovich's alleged drug activity, said CNET Capt. Pat Pope.

Cvitanovich was off duty when an alleged drug sale took place, said Pope.

He also was off duty Thursday afternoon when a supervisor called him in to
the police station at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center. Authorities
informed him of the charge of selling and took him into custody while
narcotics agents searched his home.

"We tried to defuse the situation as best we could," said Pope. "We knew he
was armed by virtue of being a police officer. We knew he had weapons in
the house. We knew he had a $10,000 canine trained to respond to aggression.

"His dog was in a kennel in the back yard. But we didn't just go busting in
on him. That would have been inviting trouble."

Agents filed a second charge, possession with intent to distribute, after
they found Ecstasy inside the house, Pope said. He wouldn't say how much.

Agents also found a small amount of what appeared to be methamphetamine,
but didn't charge Cvitanovich for it. The two charges he faces have
potential penalties of up to 60 years in prison.

The second charge led to bonds totaling $50,000. Cvitanovich posted bail to
leave the Harrison County jail Friday. Police officials placed him on
administrative leave with pay.

"We're going to prosecute this case just as vigorously as any other case,
probably more vigorously because he took an oath," said Pope. "A criminal
act by a law enforcement officer is a violation of public trust."

"We're not going to cover anything up, even if it makes us all look bad."

Police officers everywhere take a beating any time one of their own is
accused of wrongdoing, said Pope.

"Every officer around here back then will tell you they got the Rodney King
thing thrown in their face."

The charges against Cvitanovich are the first officer-involved drug case in
South Mississippi since former Picayune police officer Jeffrey B. Wheat was
accused in 2001 of conspiring to manufacture meth. Following a two-year
federal investigation, Wheat pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March to
20 years.