AT THE CORE OF EACH OF THE NO-CONFIDENCE ACTIONS WAS THE QUESTION OF WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS--THE CHIEFS OR THE LINE OFFICERS. MOST OF THE VOTES--THOSE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD., HOUSTON, TEX., AND SAN JOSE, ANAHEIM, AND LONG BEACH, CALIF.--GREW OUT OF SHORT- OR LONG-STANDING DISPUTES OVER SUCH NOMINAL ISSUES AS ASSIGNMENTS TO TRAFFIC DUTY, A COVETED POSITION IN SAN JOSE, TO ISSUES SUCH AS THE DECISION OF THE POLICE CHIEF IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO REPEAL THE 4-DAY WORK WEEK, ENLIST CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATORS, AND RESTRUCTURE THE PROMOTION SYSTEM. ONLY IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD., WAS THE POLICE CHIEF CAUGHT UP IN A STRUGGLE SEEMINGLY NOT OF HIS OWN MAKING. THERE THE NO-CONFIDENCE VOTES CAME ON THE HEALS OF A 1-YEAR-LONG CONTRACT DISPUTE, COUPLED WITH INTENSE COMMUNITY PRESSURE OVER THE ISSUE OF POLICE USE OF FORCE. PERCEIVED AS NOT BEING PUBLICLY VOCAL ENOUGH IN HIS DEFENSE OF THE FORCE AGAINST COMMUNITY CRITICISM, THE CHIEF WAS CENSURED BY THE COUNTY'S FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, WHO THEMSELVES WERE UNDER GREAT PRESSURE BECAUSE OF FAILING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. LIKE MOST OF HIS COLLEAGUES IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, THE PRINCE GEORGE'S CHIEF SURVIVED THE NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE, IN PART BECAUSE OF RESTRAINED PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND A GENUINE EFFORT TO NEGOTIATE HIS OFFICERS' MAJOR GRIEVANCES. UNABLE TO ACHIEVE A RECORD OF COOPERATION AND SINCERITY, THE CHIEF OF NEIGHBORING MONTGOMERY COUNTY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DISMISSED, THE ONLY ONE OF THE SIX YET TO BE FIRED. (KBL)