Police, fire chiefs demoted

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- The city's police and fire chiefs have been demoted and replaced with veterans of each department.

Police Chief J.W. Cowan has been replaced by Delbert Marion, who has worked for the Police Department for 23 years. Fire Chief Don Berry has been replaced by William Fennoy, a 29-year veteran of the Fire Department.

"We are making these changes in an effort to reorganize and restructure the departments for better deployment of resources," City Manager Harvey Henderson said Thursday.

Wyatt Frazer, a member of the East St. Louis Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, said Cowan should have been pushed out of the chief's job long ago because of management failures that included a "lack of leadership" and a "lack of discipline."

After more than two years as police chief, Cowan had made only one discipline referral to the fire and police board, Frazer said.

Cowan said he will accept another position within the department.

"I am so grateful to the mayor, City Council and the city manager to allow me to serve as chief of police for this great city," Cowan said. "I will support the new police chief and the assistant chief in any way I can."

The decision to replace Cowan stemmed from community pressure arising from an increase in street crime, City Council member Charlie Powell said.

A critical issue facing the East St. Louis Police Department is that many experienced officers are leaving the department after the city offered early retirement to veteran officers. Declining revenues and budget shortfalls also have caused a reduction in the police force.