Saturday, February 9, 2013

Should Some One From The Outside Be Chief?


The search has been on for the next chief of police. Many applying are from outside the department, the metro area and the state.

Should we be looking outside the department? Are there not enough qualified people inside our own department to be chief?

Look what happened the last two times some one came from the outside. The bigot Louis Graham was forced to resign because he refused to promote whites. The corrupt and incompetent Terrell Bolton was forced to resign for just that, being corrupt and incompetent. Hell, he didn’t even live in the state!

If some one from the outside is hired, what does that say about the confidence the commission has in our own people?

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Given the proposed two new cities, it looks like the footprint of DKPD is going mirror Fulton County PD. Who wants to manage a shrinking department? A great department now in competition with Pine Lake PD for being the smallest in the county.

With all the top heaviness of this department, surely one of them would apply for the job. When insiders don't apply, that tells one to stay clear and far away.

Anonymous said...

Why would someone want to move here from another state to take the chief's job, and work for CEO Ellis with the possibility that he will be out of office in six months? I would think you would have to be pretty desperate for work to make that move under the current circumstances.
The vast majority of officers who I have heard speak on this topic seem to prefer a chief from inside our department. Maybe our experience with, "outside chiefs" has soured us on the possibility of going in that direction again.

Steamy Ho Slappa said...

Hiring from the outside did not go over very well, as the blog master points out. I think that those that qualify within the department know they will still be a figure head for the most part. I don’t see any chief for this department ever being in charge.

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me. You refuse to post comments about Captain Newton and Chief Gassner (both formerly spec ops) covering for and protecting a motor officer who commited a crime by running someones tag for personal reasons and then wonder why the CEO is looking for a chief outside of Dekalb. Hello, its becuase all the brass here is corrupt.

Anonymous said...

Why didn't Obrien stay longer? He could have gotten a jet ski like Burgess.

Leaving b/c I can't get a raise to help offset health and pension increases! said...

If the new chief is hired fromthe ranks....will he or she get just a 5% raise?....

Just asking...because those worth keeping are leaving for more money elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

There are a very select few who could be chief of our department, however those few have not applied.

The three top brass that have applied for chief would run this place straight into the ground. We definatly need someone from outside, who has no connections and will be fair. Someone who is not afraid to disagree with the commissioners.

Anonymous said...

Who from inside would you like?

Anonymous said...

Its already been decided. The new chief will be from the outside. Like others have said, it didnt go that well for us last time and it wont go well for the rank n file this time either. 3:18, are you serious? An outside chief wont have any connections and will be fair. Haha thats good. Tbo and Graham were real fair werent they.

Anonymous said...

We need a good outside chief. Tebo and Graham sucked, but that's because crooked Vernon needed crooked yes men. We need someone not tied to any cliques, someone who can stand up to the commissioners.

Anonymous said...

If the corrupt politicians are picking the chief then what do you think we are going to get? It doesn't matter whether they come from inside or outside, crooks will pick crooks.

Anonymous said...

What's it matter, they won't last long, no one does.

Anonymous said...

Hiring from the inside?? Are you crazy? What person in their right mind (who is an upstanding, honest, hard working cop) would apply for that job? Become a puppet to Ellis and Miller. Come on now. You can't make a change until the top crumbles and that includes some of the command staff who have applied for the job.

Anonymous said...

What special demographic will the microcosm Dekalb choose this time? Nigerian, female, perhaps Indian? Welcome to the new participation trophy society. Good lord can't we save the "special olympians" for positions that don't affect others.

Anonymous said...

Who in Special Ops did those two protect???....Wasn't Don Frank with the CEO detail when he ran those tags or was there another incident that I missed???

Anonymous said...

The GBI failed to prosecute Frank and are more subject to corrupt manipulation than most realize.

Anonymous said...

I don't care if the New Chief comes from Sanitation Dept or Kenya just so long as he is dedicated to cleaning up the streets of DeKalb county. We have not had that kind of Police Chief in twenty years and it shows.

Anonymous said...

I have the best idea of them all....Lets get Daffy Duck as Chief and Minnie Mouse as Assistant Chief. That way, we will have a woman and a man who are well known, very qualified, loved by everyone, don't need the money, have never let anyone down, and have nothing to prove.

This will solve a lot of problems and won't create any ill feelings.

Anonymous said...

Is Wiz Director of Public Safety or Director of Communications?

Anonymous said...

Hiring from the outside can be a tremendous thing for the PD. However it only works if you're hiring the tip of the sword from an agency that's doing "tip of the sword" kinds of things. In Grahams case, we all know that Fulton PD wasn't that under his leadership. And he was stale and old school only at best. Bolton came from Dallas but they couldn't stand him there, moral was low and he was involved in controversy there before leaving. And it's not like DPD is anything special regarding law enforcement. They could never be mentioned in the same breath as an NYPD, Broward County S.O., LA sheriff's office and a couple more very select agencies in Florida, Cali, Boston and a couple of others. I mean TRUE progressive policing agencies that are known for giving perps hell without an apology and where moral is high, and crime is relatively low. So the concept of going outside wasn't bad, it was just that those particular picks were horrible. Fresh eyes on a stale situation can be the best thing that happened to the Department. Perhaps it's more evident for us who have worked in other agencies in other states where things are MUCH different. But in fairness, that's also not to say that there could not be a high quality candidate within the ranks too. Because I'm sure there is. But it seems like they want a puppet, more so than a genuine leader. And so if they know that (locally) before they take it, then it doesn't bode well for us. But what is it for a man to gain the world and lose his soul?

Anonymous said...

Someone from the outside is certainly a better option at this point. A promoting process by which persons are given rank by a test and buddy system rather then someones actual merit, hard work and competence. If a system doesn't select its leaders because they are the best at what they do, it is doomed to fail. So many of our brass have either forgotten or just never learned how to do a rank and file Patrol or CID job. They are very out of touch with reality and more in tune with political aspirations and politics then being an actual Cop. I've been very impressed with "some" outside agencies in almost every aspect of the way they are run and the officers they have. I think that as long as Ellis and Miller recruit someone outside that can straighten out the folds here, it will make them look good. If they get another Puppet aka "a company man", it will just run this department further into the ground and be plain embarrassing for them.

PS: We do have some very capable, common sense and real police officer supervisors in this department. To those few, keep your head up and don't forget, we are cops. To the Majority, go find some handcuffs (because I know you don't have any), put on your duty vest (because I know you're not wearing it), get in a unit and learn to be a cop from initial call or traffic stop to arrest or report (by yourself). If you are in CID, assign yourself a case that actually requires some real investigation. Go to court, interview and write case notes. Learn how to be a cop again, because you really really have forgotten.

Anonymous said...

In most respected departments supervisors are EXPECTED to make and handle their own cases. The supervision should be secondary to being a cop because you have competent, trusted officers under you if you hired and trained appropriately. It should NEVER be their sole duty to micromanage. Deklab is a joke in the law enforcement community and will continue to be until REAL change becomes mandatory.

Anonymous said...

What this place needs is a Chief that will get back to policing the county and make this place a better place to live and work rather than having officers going out there being revenue collectors for the BOC. I mean this place has seriously gotten away from doing real police work and doing nothing more than putting out more and more meter maids....

Anonymous said...

DeKalb had a Director of Public Safety.

DeKalb has a Fire Marshall.

DeKalb has a Fire Chief.

DeKalb has Code Enforcement.

DeKalb County has greatly overcrowed bars placing all in peril. So who is getting paid off here ? Bad Cops, Bad Cops, What you gonna do when the Feds come for you and they are coming. Round up in Atlanta Area as I type these words. Can't round them up fast enough.

And you good n honest DeKalb Police Officers, we know you are out there. Keep the faith, the corrupt faction is falling, Elected Officials and all.

Anonymous said...

I know she doesn't want it but Gassner would be an excellent choice. She has worked her way up from the ground and both she and Scott are upstanding unassuming people. Having said that I CERTAINLY understand her reservations given the environment.

Anonymous said...

Once Michael Thurmond is finish with the Board of Education, he will help the police department get back together. Michael Thurmond should be the next CEO !!!!!

Anonymous said...

Tony Beach for Chief of Police.

Anonymous said...

Well the new chief of police has been picked. Alexander from Dallas tax. Head of homeland security.....god help us