Fayette's new police chief ready to embrace Iowa life

Rich Pisanti

 

Fayette's new police chief ready to embrace Iowa life

 

 

 

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

 

While Fayette’s new police chief has gotten plenty of questions about why he’d move here from Florida, Rich Pisanti wants everyone to know that there’s plenty he and his wife, Carleen, look forward to in their new home.

A 29-year veteran in law enforcement, Pisanti was born in New Jersey but lived in Florida from age 12. He just completed a long career with the Broward County Sheriff’s Department before he and his wife decided to move to Iowa.

“It was time to get out of the war zone, but I still wanted to be a cop,” said Pisanti matter-of-factly. “It was getting very challenging to be an officer there.”

As an example, the law enforcement officer said that at one point, there were more prescription pill clinics than popular fast-food chain McDonald’s in southern Florida. And as the lead man in prescription drug enforcement, he and his team set out to wreak havoc on the Oxycodone highway.

“It almost ruined southern Florida,” he said of a period of time just over five years ago.

He’s proud to say the department helped make 700 arrests in a one-mile radius as part of its mission. There were 160 pill clinics in Broward County alone, he noted to emphasize how far-reaching the problem had become.

According to an article published by USA Today, doctors operating in Broward County dispensed more than 16 million prescription painkillers in 2009 among a population of 1.8 million. Florida practitioners purchased 41.2 million Oxycodone pills, compared with a total of 4.8 million purchased by practitioners in the other 49 states combined.

Working with the Drug Enforcement Agency to make arrests was just one aspect of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office’s crime-fighting effort. Pisanti and others lobbied the Florida Legislature to toughen enforcement against abuse and require the rogue doctors to conduct physical examinations on those for whom they were prescribing pills. The department also worked with national media such as NBC’s Nightly News and Oprah Winfrey to encourage change.

Following Broward County’s success, Pisanti was offered a six-month fellowship at the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly known as the U.S. drug czar. During that stint, he helped establish the President’s drug policy for the following year, based on the successes achieved in southern Florida.

“I don’t consider myself an expert, but I have a lot of experience,” Pisanti said.

He hopes to get involved with Fayette County’s anti-drug coalition.

Once the couple’s home in Florida has been sold, Chief Pisanti said his wife will join him in Fayette. She is retired from a job as a medical staffing professional with HCA Corporation. The couple have two small dogs. When not working, they enjoy walking, hiking and canoeing.

Fayette’s new police chief said, “I’m too young (49) to work part-time or sit around. I still want to make a positive impact.

“This is going to be a professional, but friendly department. We will try to problem-solve before we arrest. I want people to know they can rely on this department for help.”

Pisanti said he and Carleen look forward to white Christmases and the change of seasons. He hopes Fayette’s citizens will find him caring and loyal.

“You will see me in a lot of places because I’m interested. I was searching for what you have here. Monetary wealth doesn’t always mean richness in life.”

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