October 7, 2009 in News, City

Kirkpatrick confirms she applied for San Francisco job

• Print
• Email
• Share

Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick on Wednesday downplayed suggestions that she is actively pursuing work outside Spokane, but she acknowledged applying for the top cop job in San Francisco and being recruited for many others.

In an e-mail sent to her full department and other city leaders, Kirkpatrick said that she’s open to other job opportunities as they come her way, but that she is not actively pursuing them and does not consider herself “looking” for a new position.

“So the bottom line is that I am recruited for almost every opening in the country because I am a minority and every recruiter wants a minority in the application pool,” Kirkpatrick said. “I would love to be judged on my abilities as a leader, but, nevertheless, the reality is that I am a minority so I am recruited for everything.”

Questions about Kirkpatrick’s future in Spokane surfaced earlier this year with persistent rumors linking her to Seattle’s open police chief position. The search for a new Seattle chief has been delayed because of the August election loss of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, but the Seattle Times reported last month that Kirkpatrick’s “name has surfaced” as a possible candidate for the job.

More recently, Spokane’s Center for Justice on Wednesday reported on its Web site: “When asked about her status, Kirkpatrick confirmed widely circulated rumors that she has been looking for a job elsewhere, including a recent opening in San Francisco.”

Kirkpatrick’s e-mail, a copy of which was sent to The Spokesman-Review after messages were left seeking the chief’s comment about the Center for Justice report, confirmed that she applied for the San Francisco police chief’s job.

“San Francisco is a world class city, it has 3,000 employees in the department, and the salary was around $280,000,” Kirkpatrick wrote. “I was honored to be recruited and so, yes, I applied.”

The position has since been filled.

Kirkpatrick has enjoyed wide support from many city leaders since she was picked to lead the force by then-Mayor Dennis Hession in 2006. But she also has been criticized by some in the rank and file.

Last year, after an officer was accused of fourth-degree assault, Kirkpatrick was forced to address threats of “de-policing” from within the department. De-policing is an unofficial protest move that generally involves deliberately slow response times by officers to everything except major emergencies.

City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin said she hopes Kirkpatrick stays in Spokane for the long term.

She called the chief “a woman of integrity that takes her job very seriously and values every officer that works underneath her.”

Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  spokanada on October 07 at 11:21 p.m.

  wow, a lose-lose for Kirkpatrick. I hope she doesn’t get judged based on her record in Spokane because she would be working security at the mall.

• 

  garfnagn on October 07 at 11:27 p.m.

  LAPD might be looking at her.

• 

  Truthbtold on October 08 at 5:42 a.m.

  You know what really bothers me….Of course, I will tell you.

  Spokane is so quick to judge, do you actually think that Kirkpatrick has all the power to fire the “bad apples.”

  YOU ARE WRONG!!! She has and is doing a fine job. She has integrity, morals, and values, expects the same from her officers.

  The problem is: YOUR COUNTY PROSECUTOR does not do his job. Kirkpatrick’s hands are tied (in most cases, and certainly in the cases we read about) between the union and RCW, she can only put them on leave and hope that charges are filed. If none are filed, and Tucker is out playing golf, she really has no repercussions for the officers.

  And of course, if they are cleared of any wrong doing, she is going to stand by her officers, all good leaders know that. She can NOT let her personal view/opinion get involved in the running of the SPD.

  NO CHARGES……..NO CONSEQUENCES!!!!!

  Put blame where blame is do, and yes, more times than not (especially in this city) you have to look beyond the obvious!!)

• 

  spokanada on October 08 at 8:03 a.m.

  Shannon,

  I agree with your comments. However, Anne is the coach of the team. She bears the responsibilty of bad actions put fourth by her department.

  The SPD is an embarassment to the community and the entire department needs to be cleaned up. In my opinion, more bad has come from the department than good.

  I know Otto Zehm was before her time but we had officers under her watch, shoot a man in the back of the head, assault a suspect who was in handcuffs, and let a suspect erase child pornography from his phone.