High-Profile Prichard Police Chief Arrives

PRICHARD, Ala. (WPMI) When asked why he took a more than $100,000 pay cut and made the long trek from New York to the crime-riddled small city of Prichard, newly selected Police Chief Jerry Speziale said it's not about the money.It becomes a point when you become strapped to a desk, Speziale told Local 15. That's not who I am.Speziale's 30-year law enforcement career has taken him from the Bronx as a patrol officer to the jungles of South America battling drug cartels. He was the Sheriff of Passaic County in New Jersey before taking a job as deputy superintendent at the New York New Jersey Port Authority.Speziale was making nearly $200,000 as deputy superintendent at the New York New Jersey Port Authority. He said he's ready to get back out on the street, and Prichard is a worthy challenge.You're going to see a very active chief, someone who's out there, Speziale said. We have to do better. We will do better. They deserve it. That community deserves it.There were reports that the FBI was investigating Speziale's appointment to the Port Authority position, but Speziale insisted his selection for the job was on the up and up.I went through a series of interviews, I went through a serious background investigation, and I was chosen, Speziale said.Speziale said he has a lot of ideas swirling through his head on how to tackle the crime epidemic in Prichard, but won't reveal any specifics just yet.Speziale said he has already reached out to Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran and District Attorney Ashley Rich. He said curtailing crime in Prichard will require everyone to work together.Speziale said he will meet with Prichard Mayor Troy Ephraim to flesh out the details of his contract and determine a starting date.