PAOLINO PICKS FORMER DRUG WARRIOR AS CHOICE FOR COMMISSIONER

Joseph R. Paolino Jr., whose public safety platform includes having
Bill Bratton perform a management study of the police department and
naming a high-profile public safety commissioner with inter-agency
experience, is expected to be joined by the former New York City
police commissioner and Robert Stutman, a veteran of the US Drug
Enforcement Administration, during a news conference on Thursday, August 22.

Paolino plans to unveil Stutman, a Providence native and former
director of field operations for the DEA in New England and New York,
as his choice, if elected mayor, for public safety commissioner.
Paolino, who selected John Partington, the current public safety
commissioner, during his previous tenure as mayor, has indicated that
he wants to bring in a new choice.

Stutman, whose law enforcement experience extends to old Federal
Bureau of Narcotics, the DEA's precursor agency, has the kind of
managerial experience that might help to facilitate overdue changes in
the Providence Police Department. Considering the failure of the drug
war, though, critics might question the wisdom of picking a DEA
veteran for the potential post.

Stutman joined Paolino during a recent anti-violence meeting in
Providence that was organized with help from his main mayoral rival,
state Representative David N. Cicilline. Word was that Paolino planned
to present his would-be choice for commissioner during a news
conference at the Cranston Armory, proposed by Paolino as the site of
academy for students with an interest in military, police, and fire
service.