|
||||
Search For Next LB Police Chief Heats Up by Ryan ZumMallen | Archive | 12.24.09 |
+  The Press-Telegram reports this morning that City Manager Pat West’s search for the next Long Beach Police Chief is heating up after last week’s announcement by West to extend the search process to include candidates from outside the department. Previously, the search included only current LBPD officers or former LBPD officers. The reaction by the rank and file is adding pressure to the process. According to the Press-Telegram: To many members of the police force, it came across as an insult to the internal candidates and smacked of back door deals. Some officers were so outraged they have started a petition demanding that the process include only internal candidates. Even to some outsiders, it seemed odd to modify the search so late in the process. A number of police officers, all speaking on condition of anonymity, said they heard LAPD Deputy Chief Jim McDonnell was referred to the city manager by County Supervisor Don Knabe and that West later met with the applicant. Click here to read the Press-Telegram story.
Comments
Click Here to Join the Discussion on this Story
11 Comments so far.
Mike Ruehle Have any of the police chief applicants considered hiring lobbyist Mike Murchison to represent them? Don't they know that is the only way to get things done behind closed doors? Mike Ruehle Is it possible City Manager West was forced to accept applications for police chief from outside the city because West can no longer follow through with his appointment of Craig Beck to be the combined Chief of Police, Director of Development Services AND the Director of RDA? Just joking. However Beck has as much (zero) knowledge of the Oil & Gas Department as he had with Development Services or the RDA when he was appointed to head those departments. Mike Conway was the city hired real estate agent before West appointed him to be Director of Public Works, a job he was hugely underqualified for. My point is that apparently Foster and West value a quality other than job knowledge when making appointments to key city positions. And I suspect it has more to do with toeing the line than being transparent. My guess is West and Foster are having a hard time finding a candidate who will support their desires to hide from the public Long Beach's worsening crime rate while continuing to reduce the police budget by laying off cops. Eventually they will find that candidate. Could it be Craig Beck after all? Fredo Are these some of the same officers that signed on to the Donning & Doffing lawsuit, unbeknownst to Steve James and the POA as well. Laughable. The inmates are yet again trying to run the asylum. Some things never change at LBPD HQ. lbresident The police officers, most of whom are non LB residents, and most of whom are suing us residents for overtime pay to get dressed in the morning need to back off. If their aggregious pensions weren't enough now they want to dictate how we hire key personnel in our city. Mayor Foster needs to stand up to all of these unions, reform pensions, and bring some sense of sanity back to the employees in this city. They work for us. Snake Hire outside to get someone decent. UCLA Professor Emeritus Mike Ruehle has hit the nail on the head. The only reason to go outside the department is if you want to go another way (no community policing) or if you want to control the appointee. In this case it just might be both, and part of the reason that Chief Batts decided to accept the job in Oakland instead of remaining in Long Beach. The way the process has been botched, it is unfair to all the candidates both internal and external. This is an urban community that they are trying to run like a small town. We have an excellent police department with a strong command staff and a policy that engages the community. Why would you want to divert from that? CHARLIE Did you really expect Pat West to do anything else, eh eh eh? jo I think that there is nothing unusual about this and why not???? LAPD Employee It is easy to understand why the LBPD would want their next chief to come from within their ranks but every LE agency needs the best qualified person at the helm. Jim McDonnell is a very bright, extraordinarily hard working, excellent top cop who is both committed to fighting crime while demonstrating compassion and understanding toward all. As an LAPD employee, I have worked closely with Jim for over 10 years and know how dedicated he is to the job and the residents of LA ... he would be just as dedicated to the residents, visitors and industry of Long Beach! LBR2 LA Times just did an article on county crime rates and LB was amongst the few cities where crime actually increased. Does anyone know why our crime rate trends are higher than elsewhere? Does that reflect an internal management problem? Paul Said LBr2," Does anyone know why our crime rate trends are higher than elsewhere? Does that reflect an internal management problem?" LBr2. Your questions brought a smile, however we who do know the reasons for the problems, and are knocked by the city for speaking out, in addition to seeing great potential lost by our city, it is not a laughing matter. Your questions would best be answered by your reading about the issues in [a local news outlet].com, TheLbpost, The District, etc. The Press Telegram is hopelessly bought by city money for advertising, so not much truth there. Look around,read,and ask more. Go to some Council meetings. Then you will have even more questions. Eventually you will not ask any more, move, or start speaking up.
Archive
LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.
Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.
Ryan's Community
 
Ryan's Archives
Show All Archives |
||||
| About Us | Contact Us | Policies | ||||
