Ramos brings stability to post

Arturo Ramos has been acting police chief in San Luis, Ariz., for seven months. The city council thinks enough of his performance that it decided to give him the job permanently.

That's a vote of confidence, given that neither of the last two chiefs lasted even a year in the post. Under one predecessor, the department became politicized, but Ramos seems to have steered it away from that pitfall. And Mayor Gerardo Sanchez says officer morale has improved with Ramos at the helm.

Looking ahead, Ramos says a priority will be curbing domestic violence. That's welcome news to many residents, considering that the problem is often overshadowed by raging crime issues of the day, such as drug trafficking and border security.

Ramos, a former Phoenix Police detective, also will be tackling the problem of traffic congestion during the winter agricultural season.

Yet his biggest accomplishment may be providing long-term stable leadership in the department.