Problems began for Port Arthur Police Chief Patrick Melvin long before his apparent ouster in May 2018.

In 2017, the Port Arthur Police Union voted “no confidence” in Melvin, and said his command over that department had led to some 25 officers leaving. Among deficiencies they cited: poor administration and failure during Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey, when officers said he was too often out of contact with his department.

Melvin had seemed to be a good pick to lead the department, with more than 120 sworn officers, when he was hired in 2016. He had big-city experience in Phoenix, had executive credentials from leading two departments and held solid academic credentials. When he had interviewed for the Port Arthur job, his stock soared when he met with the public, City Hall insiders said. He seemed to be a good communicator.

In fact, the career law enforcement officers finished third among 42 applicants for the St. Louis, Missouri police chief job when he applied in the latter half of 2017. He told folks here he was asked to apply; but there were already rumblings in Port Arthur. SafeHome.org had rated Port Arthur No. 58 for safety among Texas cities of the same size.

Melvin, it appeared, was a better candidate on paper than an on-the-job chief.

That’s how the police union saw things. More than 80 percent of the membership vote no confidence in his leadership.

The union said many of those officers who departed Port Arthur or were placed on some form of leave were high-ranking officers. Their absence left a void in front-line leadership, the union said.

“That void in management was filled with persons that lacked leadership experience. The result has been a further decline in the number of officers and deterioration of morale among the officers that remain,” the union wrote.

Melvin, in turn, described himself as a “change agent,” insisting that change can be difficult. But changing police chiefs proved to be less difficult for Port Arthur than keeping Melvin.

Melvin was replaced on an interim basis on May 22 by Deputy Police Chief John Owens, a popular and respected officer who had himself been in dutch with Melvin during the latter man’s 20 months on the job. Owens had recently returned to a high leadership position when Melvin left under duress.

“My goal, my objective, is to establish trust through a true relationship with the community,” Owens said at his appointment. “That’s a philosophical thing: You implement it from the line officer to top management.”

Owens’ appointment also effected an immediate calm in the department, which had survived a tumultuous tenure under Melvin. City Council members voted unanimously for Owens’ interim appointment, and the vote was greeted with loud applause in the City Council chambers.

Enter Duriso.

The career lawman, who’d worked 13 years with Port Arthur Police Department, then 20 years with the Drug Enforcement Agency, was the final selection for permanent chief by interim City Manager Harvey Robinson and the City Council in August. He assumed his new duties in September.

Duriso said he’d focus on violent crime: Homicide cases in Port Arthur had soared from five in 2017 to 11 when Duriso was hired; since then, there have been three more cases.

But Duriso, 56, seems to have a constant, calming influence on his department and city. At a welcome reception at City Hall on Sept. 4, Jody Holton of the Griffing Park Neighborhood Watch relished the idea that Duriso would emphasize community policing in Port Arthur.  Councilman Cal Jones said the chief knows his city, his personnel and Port Arthur’s challenges.

Councilman Harold Doucet said the chief and his department would share mutual respect. “From the time the (finalists) list was revealed not one person who knew of him or who knew him had a negative thing to say.”

“I was raised in Port Arthur — not as a kid but as a law enforcement officer, narcotics officer, detective, patrol supervisor of each division,” he said. “It seemed like the perfect fit.”

He’s hiring more officers — the department has been understaffed — ramping up training and seeking to more closely track sex offenders. He’s increased patrol on Pleasure Island, where one homicide was committed and, in an unrelated incident, a second body was found.