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News & ArtsThursday, June 24, 2010
Crime McGinn Blows It: Appoints Diaz Police Chief
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 9:48 AM
- McGinn Jumps, Stumbles Over Shark
The mayor just appointed John Diaz, who oversaw the most miserable failure of accountability and response to misconduct in SPD's recent history, as Seattle's next police chief. At a press conference in City Hall, currently underway, Mike McGinn cites the hunt for Maurice Clemmons as a reason to pick interim Chief Diaz for the position permanently. He hasn't said anything about Diaz overseeing a force that allowed an egregious act of police misconduct to go uninvestigated for a week and allow the officer to stay on the street until the issue blew up in the news. Nor does he mention that Diaz is responsible for an opaque department that has fought police transparency and reduced access to police reports, behind a growing problem of neighborhoods irritated that police are less and less accessible, and oversaw a department conducting a crackdown last fall on bars.
Cienna will have more later.
6
Maybe it's time for some sort of civilian group to oversee the police that has authority over special interests groups like the police union & guild.
7
so glad we had a hundred year search to find that the best candidate in the country already happened to be working for us and making high profile gaffes.
8
Somewhere in sugar plum land, a tiny piece hope's heart has broken. Will I ever love again? Will I ever love again? Will I ever love again?
9
Well, it's not so much that Diaz doesn't try to discipline them, it's that he has no power compared to the Guild.
It will be interesting to see if OPA produces any results with their new leadership. I'm not hopeful.
It will be interesting to see if OPA produces any results with their new leadership. I'm not hopeful.
11
I seriously doubt any of these concerns would have gone away had Davis been selected instead of Diaz. Braziel's taking himself out of the running put the whole process on a lose-lose footing; neither of the two remaining candidates were even close to his level of experience and stature, IMO, and starting the search all over again would have created a leadership vacuum that would only have exacerbated the problems Dominic has cited.
McGinn is trying to make the best out of a bad situation, but in this case it looks like there's not going to be much sugar in the lemonade, as it were.
McGinn is trying to make the best out of a bad situation, but in this case it looks like there's not going to be much sugar in the lemonade, as it were.
13
I see the logic. In areas that interested him before he became mayor (urbanism, transpo, enviro-lite) he engages and makes perky choices, agree with him or no.
But in areas he never showed much interest in until the campaign for office (public safety, human services, public housing) seems like he makes decisions from a defensive crouch. Like this.
But in areas he never showed much interest in until the campaign for office (public safety, human services, public housing) seems like he makes decisions from a defensive crouch. Like this.
14
With Davis at least there was hope that he might have some integrity. With Diaz we know exactly what we're getting.
15
Sheesh.
Give it a couple of weeks for the next in the long line of scandals involving the SPD and non-Caucasians to blow up yet again ...
Give it a couple of weeks for the next in the long line of scandals involving the SPD and non-Caucasians to blow up yet again ...
16
Interestingly, Estela Ortega of El Centro de la Raza advocated for hiring Diaz. But then again, I'm sure Dominic and the rest of the commenters on here are much more knowledgeable about this area than a Hispanic Social Justice group.
17
this makes me sad... as a NYer, who follows your local politics close enough to barely become informed but close enough to develop a crush on mayor McCubby, i hate to see him fuck up like this... but just be glad u never had to have giuliani pick your police chief... silver linings!
18
Wow. I was a big McGinn supporter. This is a massive FAIL. I've spoken with several higher ups in the department and they all wanted someone else, preferably someone from outside the department who could reform it. The department is weak. It will now remain that way until there is a new mayor who appoints a new chief.
McGinn appointees - Parks, Seattle Center, his own executive staff, OED, Budget Director...on and on. His picks are a joke. We have some pretty mediocre people running this city and it's going to start becoming even more obvious very soon.
McGinn appointees - Parks, Seattle Center, his own executive staff, OED, Budget Director...on and on. His picks are a joke. We have some pretty mediocre people running this city and it's going to start becoming even more obvious very soon.
19
Diaz is a great choice. SPD has been tightening the net around crooks and going after the big problems after being under siege for what seemed like two years.
20
McGinn's choices were;
A) Diaz
B) Unqualified candidate from Bumfuck CA
C) start over
Since C reinforces the impression of some that he is a bumbler and B was not really a viable option, A was the only thing he could do. It was a forgone conclusion when Braziel pulled out. Get over it and move on.
A) Diaz
B) Unqualified candidate from Bumfuck CA
C) start over
Since C reinforces the impression of some that he is a bumbler and B was not really a viable option, A was the only thing he could do. It was a forgone conclusion when Braziel pulled out. Get over it and move on.
23
@20: you so don't know what you're talking about re B.
@16: I'm reasonably sure that Estela Ortega is going to really regret that support sooner rather than later.
And, yep this is a win for the guild and a golden opportunity missed for Seattle.
@16: I'm reasonably sure that Estela Ortega is going to really regret that support sooner rather than later.
And, yep this is a win for the guild and a golden opportunity missed for Seattle.
24
How so, @23?
Davis has done some very good things in East Palo Alto, and those innovations are what got him into the top three finalists. But, running a department of 40 officers, versus one of over 1,300 officers is a HUGE leap, and I doubt there's anyone whose been watching this closely who DIDN'T consider him a distant third for the position.
After being deprived of the candidate who was clearly everyone's #1 pick, McGinn simply went with the obvious #2 choice.
It's just that simple.
Davis has done some very good things in East Palo Alto, and those innovations are what got him into the top three finalists. But, running a department of 40 officers, versus one of over 1,300 officers is a HUGE leap, and I doubt there's anyone whose been watching this closely who DIDN'T consider him a distant third for the position.
After being deprived of the candidate who was clearly everyone's #1 pick, McGinn simply went with the obvious #2 choice.
It's just that simple.
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@24: Yeah and everyone seems to ignore the 19 years in Oakland. And the fact that Dept of Justice routinely seeks his advice/expertise in helping clean up problems in other big city departments (cf Washington, DC and Detroit). And that he is a nationally recognized expert on racial profiling and bias. And that of the three he is the only one who genuinely seemed to know what innovative approaches are and a ready willingness to implement them (cf his model prisoner re-entry programs and Ceasefire). And I could go on. Hell, Braziel couldn't even articulate a strategy for open-air drug markets. He skirted the question like it was an inferno.
And for your comment "I doubt there's anyone whose been watching this closely who DIDN'T consider him a distant third for the position," you are very mistaken. There are many people who watched this very closely (including some on fucking search committee) who felt that Davis was not just viable, but the best of the 3. Just cause Braziel was the media darling and glad-handing used car salesman hardly made him the best choice.
And for your comment "I doubt there's anyone whose been watching this closely who DIDN'T consider him a distant third for the position," you are very mistaken. There are many people who watched this very closely (including some on fucking search committee) who felt that Davis was not just viable, but the best of the 3. Just cause Braziel was the media darling and glad-handing used car salesman hardly made him the best choice.
26
Well, then Mr. smarty pants - why wasn't Davis the #1 pick, if'n he was so great? I suppose you know he was also recently passed over for the Chief of Police of New Orleans, so clearly, TPTB in Seattle aren't the only ones who have doubts about his credentials to run a large-city police department.
While 19 years experience in Oakland isn't something to sneeze at (although, the fact he was branded with the nickname "maniac" during his years there is another matter altogether), the senior positions he held there: director of the Oakland Police Academy, Criminal Investigations Commander, Patrol Commander, Inspector General, don't automatically qualify him to occupy the Chief's chair in a major metropolitan department. And has been pointed out elsewhere, his accomplishments in East Palo Alto don't either, because the issues he faces in that small town (despite its abnormally high murder rate) aren't even remotely the same. Plus, why, if he's such a terrific leader, has he had a 50% turnover in a 39 officer department since he took over five years ago? Even accounting for some "bad apples" who may have seen the writing on the wall when he was hired in 2005, that's an abysmal rate for a department that small, and certainly calls into question his skills to effectively manage a department with 35 times more officers, and with a budget 20 times as large as his current position.
Sorry, gnossos, but just because SOME members of the search committee considered him the "best of the 3" doesn't mean he actually was...
While 19 years experience in Oakland isn't something to sneeze at (although, the fact he was branded with the nickname "maniac" during his years there is another matter altogether), the senior positions he held there: director of the Oakland Police Academy, Criminal Investigations Commander, Patrol Commander, Inspector General, don't automatically qualify him to occupy the Chief's chair in a major metropolitan department. And has been pointed out elsewhere, his accomplishments in East Palo Alto don't either, because the issues he faces in that small town (despite its abnormally high murder rate) aren't even remotely the same. Plus, why, if he's such a terrific leader, has he had a 50% turnover in a 39 officer department since he took over five years ago? Even accounting for some "bad apples" who may have seen the writing on the wall when he was hired in 2005, that's an abysmal rate for a department that small, and certainly calls into question his skills to effectively manage a department with 35 times more officers, and with a budget 20 times as large as his current position.
Sorry, gnossos, but just because SOME members of the search committee considered him the "best of the 3" doesn't mean he actually was...
27
Oh c'mon Comte. You are much smarter than that. You're telling me that the proof that Diaz was the better candidate is the fact that he was selected?! I've never seen you resort to tautology before and am surprised.
I would love to see some reporting on the dynamics of the search committee. And how many votes there were for each candidate. From what I gather that would be quite illuminating and undercut the argument that Diaz was the better candidate.
And with that I'll leave this argument behind. Whether I like it or not, Diaz is the new chief and we'll have to work with him. I hope he sprouts some big balls quick. And I hope there is some very serious turnover.
I would love to see some reporting on the dynamics of the search committee. And how many votes there were for each candidate. From what I gather that would be quite illuminating and undercut the argument that Diaz was the better candidate.
And with that I'll leave this argument behind. Whether I like it or not, Diaz is the new chief and we'll have to work with him. I hope he sprouts some big balls quick. And I hope there is some very serious turnover.
28
No @27, I'm saying the proof that Diaz was selected over Davis is because the latter had a plethora of question marks attached to his candidacy, several of which I've iterated, and many of which have been iterated by others, and none of which you've elected to refute. And apparently, they were sufficiently troublesome to Hizzoner to believe he was ultimately unsuited for the position.
If you want to avoid addressing those question marks, that's fine, but it doesn't erase them, so, feel free to retreat from the field. At least you have enough sense to know when you've been soundly beaten.
If you want to avoid addressing those question marks, that's fine, but it doesn't erase them, so, feel free to retreat from the field. At least you have enough sense to know when you've been soundly beaten.
29
Correction: ...sufficiently troublesome to TWO Hizzoners (Seattlle and New Orleans) to believe he was ultimately unsuited to lead EITHER police department.
30
Sorry Comte, your question marks are irrelevant to me for a wide variety of reasons.
Not being selected as chief of NOLA? Hello. One of the least functional and most corrupt cities in the US decides he's not worthy? Probably a mark in his favor. And let's see who the Dept of Justice calls in to help clean up the dept when things get bad enough. Hint: it ain't gonna be Diaz.
High turnover at E. PA? Again a mark in his favor. Widely regarded as one of the least functional departments in the state prior to his arrival. This was a dept that was known throughout the state for hiring officers that had been fired from other departments. It wasn't just a few bad apples. The whole barrel was bad. And, again, I'd love to see high rates of turnover at SPD.
Both, however, point to why SPOG was so opposed to his being appointed here. They are steadfastly and vociferously opposed to reform (to even the idea of reform) and anything resembling innovation. They have resisted civilian oversight at every step of the way and anyone who even questions Seattle policing is regarded as the enemy.
My wishing to end this argument has little to do knowing that I've been soundly beaten (jesus, that's really fucking grade school internet there -- again I'm surprised, you're usually not so silly), but more to the fact that I actually have to work with SPD and so at this point the best solution is to make peace with the Diaz selection and move on.
This was a victory for SPOG and I hope we don't all come to deeply regret it. I like Diaz a great deal personally and wish him the best (sincerely, for the greater good), but he would've been my third choice by a country mile.
Not being selected as chief of NOLA? Hello. One of the least functional and most corrupt cities in the US decides he's not worthy? Probably a mark in his favor. And let's see who the Dept of Justice calls in to help clean up the dept when things get bad enough. Hint: it ain't gonna be Diaz.
High turnover at E. PA? Again a mark in his favor. Widely regarded as one of the least functional departments in the state prior to his arrival. This was a dept that was known throughout the state for hiring officers that had been fired from other departments. It wasn't just a few bad apples. The whole barrel was bad. And, again, I'd love to see high rates of turnover at SPD.
Both, however, point to why SPOG was so opposed to his being appointed here. They are steadfastly and vociferously opposed to reform (to even the idea of reform) and anything resembling innovation. They have resisted civilian oversight at every step of the way and anyone who even questions Seattle policing is regarded as the enemy.
My wishing to end this argument has little to do knowing that I've been soundly beaten (jesus, that's really fucking grade school internet there -- again I'm surprised, you're usually not so silly), but more to the fact that I actually have to work with SPD and so at this point the best solution is to make peace with the Diaz selection and move on.
This was a victory for SPOG and I hope we don't all come to deeply regret it. I like Diaz a great deal personally and wish him the best (sincerely, for the greater good), but he would've been my third choice by a country mile.
31
What YOU consider "irrelevant" is, well, pretty irrelevant as well, although it is rather curious that you would express a willingness to so blithely sweep these questions and other quite legitimate concerns under the rug. I guess, in your estimation, skeletons should just be left well alone, and if you don't open the closet door, you don't have to look at them.
Fortunately, the people who actually DO make the decisions in these matters don't have that luxury...
Fortunately, the people who actually DO make the decisions in these matters don't have that luxury...
32
this latino says lo siento seattle diaz by default is a bust. we are fucked.
lifer cop no thanks.
lifer cop no thanks.
33
By the way, didn't I predict that a committee of 26 freaking people would not do a good job?
I have to wonder whether one decent headhunter would have sussed out that two of the best applicants (Des Moines and San Diego) were liable to bail out if their current homes gave them a raise. And you know the main accomplishment of a committee that large was to try to be all things to all people, and pick not the 3 choices that best serve the mayor when he makes the final selection, but the 3 choices that best throw a bone to as many special interests as possible.
What the mayor really needed was a short list he would work with, that would degrade gracefully if somebody bailed out or had a bimbo eruption or whatever. The short list he got basically backed McGinn into a corner when what-his-name dropped out.
Of course, McGinn deserved being backed into a corner for being such a conciliator, instead of an executive. An executive would have made a search committee of 3, or maybe 5 at most, members, chosen not for which special interests they represent, but for their skill and good judgment.
I have to wonder whether one decent headhunter would have sussed out that two of the best applicants (Des Moines and San Diego) were liable to bail out if their current homes gave them a raise. And you know the main accomplishment of a committee that large was to try to be all things to all people, and pick not the 3 choices that best serve the mayor when he makes the final selection, but the 3 choices that best throw a bone to as many special interests as possible.
What the mayor really needed was a short list he would work with, that would degrade gracefully if somebody bailed out or had a bimbo eruption or whatever. The short list he got basically backed McGinn into a corner when what-his-name dropped out.
Of course, McGinn deserved being backed into a corner for being such a conciliator, instead of an executive. An executive would have made a search committee of 3, or maybe 5 at most, members, chosen not for which special interests they represent, but for their skill and good judgment.
35
@33: The original committee of 24 was named by Nickels. McGinn tweaked a little and increased it by 2, but by and large it remained quite similar. Maybe not smart, but he stuck with a process he inherited.
Second, a head hunting firm hired by the city (Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, DC), which does chief searches routinely, was tasked with narrowing the field down to less than 15 and sending it to the committee. They were to narrow it to 3.
Second, a head hunting firm hired by the city (Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, DC), which does chief searches routinely, was tasked with narrowing the field down to less than 15 and sending it to the committee. They were to narrow it to 3.
36
Rumor has it that McGinns pick caused two or three members of the Search Committee quit. I think that about says it all for me.
37
Another rumor surfaced yesterday that Sgt. Rich O'neil put the screws to our "Treehugging" friend. Now recap the occurrences here. We have shootings and beatings and more shootings on Diaz watch when he was the ass-chief. My question is: will he walk around with bigger blinders as the top flop?
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