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October 8, 2009 in City
Spokane police chief applied for new job
She’s not actively seeking to leave, though, she says
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.”
MAC faces angry crowd 
lewis8457 on October 08 at 8:10 a.m.
the chief would be wise to get out of Spokane while she still has a career. If she hasn’t seen it yet she is nothing more then a puppet for the Police guild and the good ol boys club. Her Mayor is a loon as well as most of the city council, one of her officers told the US Attorney to pound sand that should be a heck of a hint to her that maybe she is over her head and sinking.
I hope the feds nail the SPD, but i don’t know if she deserves to go down with the ship.
southie4573 on October 08 at 8:36 a.m.
I would leave in a heartbeat - good for her. GET OUT - Spokane is a black hole.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on October 08 at 8:38 a.m.
I have high respect for the ideals that Chief K holds dear… and have high respect for her as a person.. ie she is ethical, and upright, and given different circumstances she would be a great police chief… but… she is faced with and has been faced with the situations we are all familiar with… even when officers are breaking blue to help the city… our prosecutors do not do a credible job… the Shonto Peet Trials are prima facie evidence of who is calling the shots in our police department….
I wish her well…. and thanks for trying hard to change the century deep police culture here in Spokane…. it is not a job i’d have taken if any other options were available… and god help us find a new chief…. john
lordstorm on October 08 at 8:45 a.m.
As they say Rats will abandon the sinking ship first.
philipgregory on October 08 at 9:09 a.m.
Good!
Hope she finds one quick … and far away!
garfnagn on October 08 at 12:19 p.m.
LAPD looked and also Clark Co.
Truthbtold on October 09 at 5:29 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!!)
Rifleman__Dodd on October 12 at 4:33 p.m.
Concur w/Sullivan & Chef Gus.
Chief Kirkpatrick has to battle the Tuckered Out prostitutor, Trepeidation Treppedie and the Guild.
If she had the power to fire all them bastards she would have and its because she doesn’t have that power that initiated the position of the Ombudsman Lite.
She is also in the unfortunate position of having to back her crooked officers when they get cleared of wrong doing. “Cleared” meaning “getting away with it”.
In the case of Karl Thompson with his blue mafia of co-conspirators. I’d put them all to work cleaning toilets in the jail. Sooner or later even at $80K a year they would quit.
It is way past due that we toss the guild out. 150,000 citizens have less control running OUR government than the 200 crooked boys in blue do.