Here are some more examples of what happens when “Top Cops” are more concerned about image than right or wrong. I am always struck by how, even when removing the “Top Cop”, the press releases were full of praise and adoration for the person being fired. No one ever seems to do wrong, it’s just that the “focus” of policing was adversely impacted.
Portland police chief placed on leave after being accused of inadvertently shooting friend, lying about it
Reporter Mark Berman of the Washington Post
The chief of police in Portland, Ore., was placed on leave Tuesday amid investigations into whether he inadvertently shot a friend during a vacation last month and covered it up.
Hales’s announcement about placing O’Dea on leave, first reported by the Oregonian, came more than a month after the shooting occurred in a corner of Oregon more than 380 miles away from Portland.
The Harney County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a 911 call about an unidentified man being shot once in his back in Fields, an area in southeastern Oregon. The 54-year- old man was described in police records as alert and breathing.
O’Dea and others with him suggested that the shooting was self-inflicted.
“The victim made it pretty clear he didn’t shoot himself. The victim knew who shot him.”
San Francisco police chief ousted after latest fatal shooting, mayor says
Reporter Mark Berman of the Washington Post
San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said Thursday that he had removed the chief of his city’s embattled police department, a decision that came hours after a police officer in the city fatally shot a woman.
The move came as the city’s police force is facing criticism over fatal shootings as well as a controversy involving bigoted text messages sent by officers. While Lee (D) had previously stood by Gregory P. Suhr, the city’s police chief since 2011, he changed course on Thursday after the latest shooting.
Lee said during a news conference that he had asked Suhr to resign after more than three decades with the force. The mayor still had kind words for Suhr after his resignation, calling the outgoing chief “a dedicated public servant,” but Lee said he felt that a change was needed as the city confronts a tangled knot of protests and controversy.
Suhr becomes the third police chief of a major police department to be dismissed after fatal shootings sparked demonstrations and anger.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) removed his police superintendent, Garry F. McCarthy, after heavy protests prompted by video footage of an officer shooting a teenager 16 times. Before that, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired her police commissioner, Anthony Batts, saying he had been a distraction as the city reeled from rioting after the death of Freddie Gray.
Chicago police superintendent fired by mayor amid outcry over video of shooting
Reporters Mark Berman and and Mark Guarino December 1, 2015 of the Washington Post
The Chief of Police came into a department culture tainted by a legacy of police abuse going back decades. The city was struggling to confront that legacy through settlements with victims and an effort to rebuild trust on the streets — trust that, for many, was irrevocably broken. Gun violence also mounted: In his first year in office, homicides jumped above 500, creating a crisis that screamed across national headlines.
Baltimore mayor fires police chief in wake of Gray case, spike in violence
By Associated Press July 8, 2015
Recent events have placed an intense focus on our police leadership, distracting many,”
Rawlings-Blake said. “It is clear that the focus has been too much on the leadership of the department and not enough on the crime fight.”
In a 32-page report released Wednesday, the Baltimore police union called the April riots “preventable” and accused the police of being more concerned with image than safety, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“Officers characterized the Baltimore Police Department’s leadership during the riots as unprepared, politically motivated, uncaring and confusing,” union President Gene Ryan said at a news conference.
Portland police chief placed on leave after being accused of inadvertently shooting friend, lying about it
Reporter Mark Berman of the Washington Post
The chief of police in Portland, Ore., was placed on leave Tuesday amid investigations into whether he inadvertently shot a friend during a vacation last month and covered it up.
Hales’s announcement about placing O’Dea on leave, first reported by the Oregonian, came more than a month after the shooting occurred in a corner of Oregon more than 380 miles away from Portland.
The Harney County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a 911 call about an unidentified man being shot once in his back in Fields, an area in southeastern Oregon. The 54-year- old man was described in police records as alert and breathing.
O’Dea and others with him suggested that the shooting was self-inflicted.
“The victim made it pretty clear he didn’t shoot himself. The victim knew who shot him.”
San Francisco police chief ousted after latest fatal shooting, mayor says
Reporter Mark Berman of the Washington Post
San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said Thursday that he had removed the chief of his city’s embattled police department, a decision that came hours after a police officer in the city fatally shot a woman.
The move came as the city’s police force is facing criticism over fatal shootings as well as a controversy involving bigoted text messages sent by officers. While Lee (D) had previously stood by Gregory P. Suhr, the city’s police chief since 2011, he changed course on Thursday after the latest shooting.
Lee said during a news conference that he had asked Suhr to resign after more than three decades with the force. The mayor still had kind words for Suhr after his resignation, calling the outgoing chief “a dedicated public servant,” but Lee said he felt that a change was needed as the city confronts a tangled knot of protests and controversy.
Suhr becomes the third police chief of a major police department to be dismissed after fatal shootings sparked demonstrations and anger.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) removed his police superintendent, Garry F. McCarthy, after heavy protests prompted by video footage of an officer shooting a teenager 16 times. Before that, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired her police commissioner, Anthony Batts, saying he had been a distraction as the city reeled from rioting after the death of Freddie Gray.
Chicago police superintendent fired by mayor amid outcry over video of shooting
Reporters Mark Berman and and Mark Guarino December 1, 2015 of the Washington Post
The Chief of Police came into a department culture tainted by a legacy of police abuse going back decades. The city was struggling to confront that legacy through settlements with victims and an effort to rebuild trust on the streets — trust that, for many, was irrevocably broken. Gun violence also mounted: In his first year in office, homicides jumped above 500, creating a crisis that screamed across national headlines.
Baltimore mayor fires police chief in wake of Gray case, spike in violence
By Associated Press July 8, 2015
Recent events have placed an intense focus on our police leadership, distracting many,”
Rawlings-Blake said. “It is clear that the focus has been too much on the leadership of the department and not enough on the crime fight.”
In a 32-page report released Wednesday, the Baltimore police union called the April riots “preventable” and accused the police of being more concerned with image than safety, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“Officers characterized the Baltimore Police Department’s leadership during the riots as unprepared, politically motivated, uncaring and confusing,” union President Gene Ryan said at a news conference.