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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Politics / City City Council Will Discuss Reconfirming Police Chief

Posted by Cienna Madrid on Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 2:52 PM

We've been bitching and moaning about how the city's police chief should face periodic reconfirmation, but now Seattle City Council member Bruce Harrell is taking our complaints to the next level: an adult conversation.

Harrell, chair of the council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, is hosting a discussion during this Wednesday's 2 p.m. committee meeting on whether the city should require periodic council reconfirmation of the police chief.

Every department head in the city except the fire chief and police chief are subject to periodic reconfirmation by the city council. As it currently stands, these two positions are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, but are not revisited after that.

We've given Chief Diaz and his department shit for various scandals over the past few years, but this isn't about grudges and it isn't wholly about Diaz. Chances are, he could do anything short of shitting into the yawning mouth of Sally Bagshaw and still be rubber-stamped.

This is a transparency issue. It's about holding the head of one of city's largest departments—certainly the one with the most guns—accountable for the job he's doing. Reconfirmation gives the public an opportunity to review the chief's leadership, to publicly question or criticize his decisions, to praise his accomplishments, and question how his vision for a safer city is progressing.

We demand this of nearly every other department head. We should demand it of the police chief as well. (And the fire chief, if you ask me. More process-laden public hearings, I say! Mooooooar!!!)

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Comments (14) RSS

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So, why do we elect our county Sheriff but not our Chief of Police?

Posted by Cascadian on February 20, 2013 at 12:19 PM

I like that the first item in your "various scandals" turned out to not actually be a scandal ( outside review found the force justified) and your second "scandal" was just a spokesperson blowing off your hack boss. Kudos on the ace reporting, kiddo.

Posted by Justthefax on February 19, 2013 at 8:21 PM

Fire Diaz.

Posted by JonnoN on February 19, 2013 at 6:44 PM

Oops I meant Bagshaw, not Clark. But, fuck it. Shit on both of em.

Posted by Pol Pot

on February 19, 2013 at 6:22 PM

Personally, I think shitting in Sally Clark's mouth should be a prerequisite for any executive level city job.

Posted by Pol Pot

on February 19, 2013 at 6:20 PM

The history on this:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/S…

Posted by lisalouh on February 19, 2013 at 5:57 PM

Is SLOG considering doing a live tweet of this discussion as it did for the drones meeting? I would follow - even if nothing interesting happens.

Posted by Starmite on February 19, 2013 at 5:54 PM

Police Chief Diaz has done as much for the city of Seattle as the mayor who appointed him. Diaz and McGinn both need to be replaced in the next year.

Posted by Seattle Joe on February 19, 2013 at 5:31 PM

Love it. Finally common sense prevails. Good for Harrell listening to the people. Accountability at the top for SPD is long overdue.

Posted by SeattleD on February 19, 2013 at 4:29 PM

Most of what little interactions I've had with the SPD in my ten years in Seattle have been extremely negative.

Fuck 'em!

Posted by seven on February 19, 2013 at 4:20 PM

I've met Diaz, and he seems like a decent guy and I don't think he's doing a terrible job. That said, SPD is in desperate need of serious reforms, and Diaz has not exactly stepped up to the plate. He's doing an adequate job managing the police department, but a reformer he is not. If he can't provide leadership to pursue the serious reforms SPD is required to undertake, he needs to be replaced by someone who will.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on February 19, 2013 at 4:01 PM

Every department head in the city except the fire chief and police chief are subject to periodic reconfirmation by the city council.

Cienna, why is this?

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on February 19, 2013 at 3:44 PM

Make sure to hold McGinns feet to the fire for also doing nothing when it comes to the SPD lawsuit-o-matic. Remember how he hasnt shown any leadership in dealing with these problems? Always delegating the problems to Diaz and occasionally pointing to his awesome 20/20 plan that has yet to yield any measurable results.

Posted by Kinison