The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-10
Perez, Baker Named
AS Candidates For
Police Chiefs Job
CiUiI Service
Board By-Passes
Exam Suggestion
BY BILL SPILLMAN


Two Key West police Of
ficers were nominated by
the Civil Service Board last
night to fill the post of Chief
of Police.
They are Acting Police
Chief Bienvenido Perez and
Patrolman Harry Lee Baker.
The board nominated the
pair at the request of the
city commission, who at their
LAST meeting, asked that the
nSmAs of three eligible per-
sons lie submitted for their
consideration.
MRS Isabel Fleming, chairman
of Me board, and Mrs. Sybil Dex-
ter, Ere both in favor of conduct
M intelligence examinations for
hy candidates for the job that the
board selected. However. the third
member of the board, Robert VAL
DEE, pointed out that it had been
the decision of the board to eli
inmate examinations for police
jobs above the rank of lieutenant.
Mrs. Fleming said that she
thought the rules could be waived
in this instance. Mrs. Dext-r ves
in agreement with Mrs Fleming
that examinations should be held.
No Vote on Exams
However, they did not bring the
question to a vote last night. ],
Valdez then asked the other
board members why, whenever he
mentioned Perez name as a can
didate, they started talking about
examinations.
Mrs. Dexter replied that it was
he who was associating the talk
of examinations with Perez, be-
cause she had not been thinking of
anyone m particular when she
mentioned examinations.
Mrs. Dexter said: 81 want to be
fair about this and make sure that
any candidate we nominate has the
intelligence to be chief of police. "
Experience Counts
Valdez replied that the rules stat
ed that any selection should be
based on experience as well as
general intelligence.
Mrs. Fleming stated that, to her,
it did not look like it made much
difference who the civil service
board selected because the city
commissioners had already made
up their minds who they wanted
for the job.
Valdez had earlier suggested
that each member submit three
names and the members could look
over all nine names and decide
who the three nominees would be.
This idea was changed, however,
when Mrs. Dexter made a motion
that each member select one name
to be given to the city as a NOM
inee for the job.
Names Submitted
The motion was pissed by a I'M
animous vote of the board and
each member submitted name.
Valdez submitted Perez as his
choice, while Mrs. Fleming and
Mrs. Dexter both selected Harry
Lee Baker.
The board also took action on
several requests for annual leave
which had been submitted by City
Manager Victor Lang.
The board also agreed to pay
Ralph Maribona, a member of the
police department, for the two
days he was suspended in connec-
ton with a shooting incident. A re-
port prepared by Acting Chief Pc
rex generating Maribona from any
blame was read to the board.
Credit Union Praised
Lang also told the board that
the city employees credit union
was a wonderful thing for the city.
He also lauded Miss Eve Smith, a
clerk in the city finance office.
Lang said that girls of her calibre
are hard to find.
Lang also said that he is PLAN
ming to provide for a hospitaliza-
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