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February 11, 2012 in City
Public safety tops mayor’s list
Condon identifies 21 items for immediate attention
Spokane Mayor David Condon thanks the audience after it sang “Happy Birthday” before he delivered his 100-Day Action Plan address Friday at the Red Lion Inn at the Park. Condon’s 38th birthday was on Thursday.
(Full-size photo)
Spokane Mayor David Condon unveiled his 100-day action plan on Friday with only 58 days left to complete it.
He began his list with public safety and returning confidence in the Police Department, which he said remains his priority.
“We aren’t going to wait around for the Department of Justice or others,” he said, referring to a city request for a federal review of the police department’s policies and practices. “I really think this community wanted us to start taking action immediately.”
Condon unveiled a list of 21 action items in a nearly 45-minute “inaugural address” at the Red Lion at the Park sponsored by Greater Spokane Incorporated, the area’s Chamber of Commerce.
Some of the ideas have been publicly known for weeks, including the creation of the Use of Force Commission to examine how officers use force. An officer was convicted in November of using excessive force against a man who died in police custody.
One new idea announced in Condon’s speech Friday is that police and firefighters will complete special training to deal with “vulnerable” populations, but Condon offered few details of the training. City spokeswoman Marlene Feist said the city’s police and fire chiefs currently are reviewing training options.
Other promises included:
• Forming a committee to advise the mayor on small-business issues, a promise he also made in his campaign last fall.
• Working with Spokane County officials to create a committee to analyze possible government consolidation opportunities.
• Assigning police officers to attend neighborhood council meetings.
• Creating a “one-stop customer service center” on the first floor of City Hall.
• Shortening the system for getting commercial permits.
Some of the initiatives are carry-overs from Mayor Mary Verner’s administration, such as shortening the permitting system. Some ideas have been around for decades, like government consolidation. Some are new, such as the small-business group.
The mayor has embraced proposed changes to the city’s permitting system that were proposed late in Verner’s administration. City Engineer Mike Taylor said it currently takes an average of 52 days from the time a customer submits an application for a commercial building permit until approval. The goal is to reduce the average time to 30 days.
That won’t be completed within the first 100 days of Condon’s administration, but the mayor promised two parts of the plan will be implemented. Each application will be assigned to one city staff member so there’s a consistent contact person, and each application will receive an initial review within 48 hours.
Taylor said a quick review at the start of the process can save a lot of time to spot obvious problems before much work is complete.
Condon said the city will analyze the city’s 1,600 pieces of real estate and consider selling some of it.
“I would rather have them on the tax rolls,” he said.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
polistra on February 11 at 5:36 a.m.
Well, if “public safety” means making the public LESS safe, then I guess the headline makes sense.
After all, Condon’s main campaign platform was to prevent the police from enforcing laws evenly and fairly. Instead he wants to force cops to know the inner thought patterns and Diversity Status of each berserk suspect in the split-second necessary to decide on subduing the berserk suspect. If the suspect has Diversity Privilege, he must be allowed to continue running wild.
This type of decision is physically and logically impossible, so the perfectly understandable result will be lots more disorder and berserkness.
Notapatriot on February 11 at 6:01 a.m.
Berserkness. Good word.
idahocity on February 11 at 6:21 a.m.
i think we should expect restraint from people with licenses to kill. developmentally disabled people are entitled the right to life like everyone else.
DickAdams on February 11 at 6:47 a.m.
Condon is quoted in the story saying, “I really think this community wanted us to start taking action immediately.”
Really? Yet the city officials who attempted to cover-up the Otto Zehm homicide continue to roam the hallways at city hall and pick up their checks on payday.
I`ll repeat what I opined yesterday.
“I`m perplexed as to why Mayor David Condon appointed City Attorney Delaney, and in doing so he knew with the Delaney appointment that Roco Treppiedi would be included to be Delaney`s right hand man.”
Many of us thought Treppiedi, would have been fired by Condon over a month ago remembering what he said when he was campaigning for mayor. One person who made a comment, re Condon, and opined to the SR web-site yesterday regarding Condon`s campaign speeches said, that Condon was a liar like so many politicians, are liars running for office, will lie and say anything to be elected. David Condon is a good example.
I agreed with the person who posted the comment and admitted I had hoped Condon was telling the truth and got sucked in believing what he said. I admitted, I was wrong and should have known better.
karl2002 on February 11 at 6:52 a.m.
Rather than start from scratch forming a commission to review use of force, Spokane should look at hiring an outside agency that has experience and can adequately pull best practices information from across the country similar to the investigation into officer involved shootings/in-custody deaths that Portland commissioned with PARC. Good reading: http://www.parc.info/portland_police_bureau-publications.chtml
Albert on February 11 at 7:34 a.m.
At least he’s keeping his word and doing something to clean up this mess. You all know that I’m NOT a fan of the SPD, however this disaster will require time and effort to resolve. I appreciate his open attitude and follow through. Vernors had to fizzle and allow the Feds to take on the guild. Give the man time and let’s see what the first year brings out. The MAIN and immediate issue is Rocky and this must not be set aside, or Condon will lose valuable ties.
lewis8457 on February 11 at 8:03 a.m.
first things first get karl sentenced and fire the other 7 officers involved in the Zehm death.
i dont know how he can fix the issues if the bad apples are still on the force.
brianrbreen on February 11 at 8:27 a.m.
@karl2002
PARC has some different views on a number of things than other “Consultants” have. One of which is the time period for the interview of an officer involved in an OIS/OID. PARC’s position is it should be done as soon as practically possible which is not the same as other groups who have based their position on various studies (primarily a British study) regarding witnesses, that there should be a waiting period similar to those generally contained in union contracts. My argument with them in that regard is and always has been that the interview whether criminal or administrative should only take place when the interviewer has enough facts available to properly conduct the interview. Depending on the circumstances that could be a day, couple of days, and sometimes even longer.
Something to consider, but I agree… and with all do respect to the “Commission” Mayor Condon has set up PARC has considerably more background and experience dealing with the issues facing the SPD.
Ron_the_Cop on February 11 at 8:40 a.m.
FIRE - Delaney and Treppiedi NOW!
If Condon is serious about change at SPD.
Shelala on February 11 at 8:50 a.m.
Forming committees or commissions is one way for any politician to make the public think they are addressing the problems and spread the blame around if things don’t go right. Condon was elected because he claimed he was able to make those tough decisions, but so far the only “tough decision” he has made is who to appoint on a committee and what to order everyone for lunch.
Slightlyworried on February 11 at 8:51 a.m.
Mr. Mayor: If you want to restore the public’s trust in the SPD, go down and drag Tucker off his bar stool, sober him up, bring him down to the courthouse, introduce him to his staff, and have him charge the Zip Trip Six with murder. Until you do that, everything else is simply re-arranging deck chairs on the Titantic. We all know this won’t be easy because if Tucker actually does his job the remainder of the SPD won’t let him drive home from the bar without enforcing the DUI laws. But give it a shot anyway. Do it for Otto. Do it for us.
RedCedar on February 11 at 9:45 a.m.
It seems that every mayor, especially in Spokane, comes into office promising reform and leaves not only without reforming anything, but under allegations of corruption, cronyism, featherbedding, and favoritism. They’re not exactly Boss Tweed by the time they leave, but they’re not reformers either. The window of opportunity for reform is early in the administration. Taking on powerful established interests such as the police guild is a long-term project. On the other hand, speeding up the permitting process and selling surplus property can be done pretty quickly without ruffling too many feathers.
I’d suggest he start immediately on the surplus property sales because that brings in immediate twofold revenue (the sales price plus property taxes), it’s not controversial, and it can’t easily be undone by his successor. The other stuff is worth pursuing but without continual pressure, it’s likely to get bogged down by overt opposition or sidetracked into irrelevancy. I lived in Everett during the fad of “neighborhood policing” and the “council of neighborhoods” and watched firsthand how the former amounted to nothing but talk and the latter was quickly co-opted by the political establishment.
After the administration had taken control over what was threatening to be an opposition network, they sent some cop to every neighborhood meeting. The fact was, however, that it was always a different cop, that there was no continuity in who patrolled any given neighborhood, and on the few occasions when I actually tried to talk to a cop on the street, I was ordered to go away and call 911. “Neighborhood policing” was just a phrase. At the meetings, Officer Friendly would talk about what they were doing and about how low the crime rate was, even though all of us knew about crimes ranging from an ongoing problem of car prowls to repeated armed drug robberies of a cancer patient in his home.
So, unless Mayor Condon is prepared to push very hard for a long time to implement meaningful reform of the SPD, this will just be one more forgotten election promise in a couple of years.
Indie on February 11 at 9:46 a.m.
Only 42 days to go before the clock runs out. Better hurry.
liveinfearoftheSPD on February 11 at 10:20 a.m.
Does this mean he will be forming 21 committees?
At least he is creating jobs.
tomnsahl on February 11 at 10:27 a.m.
The new Mayor is off to a good start & his inaugural address and 100 day plan sound ambitious yet realistic.
Sadly - nothing he or anyone else says/does will stop the mindless & agendized criticism from many of the blowhards who dominate the SR commentary.
Good luck Mayor Condon
jessiepn on February 11 at 10:28 a.m.
I’ll feel a lot more confidence in Mayor Condon when he removes Rocky Treppiedi from office.
Bill_Jackman on February 11 at 10:44 a.m.
Mayor Condon,
Please don’t leave out the Spokane Fire Department and their scandals. Please consider that the current ambulance rates that American Medical Response (AMR) charges should be clearly posted on many of the City of Spokane’s websites. Along with the current rate structure, the percentage of Advanced Life Support vs. Basic Life Support billings from your monthly audits should also be a matter of public record.
Let’s face it, AMR is the single largest contractor in public safety and the rates they charge are not disclosed to the public. WHY HAS the Fire Chief chosen to hide the rates from public view?
If this had been done under prior administrations, the class action lawsuit (which AMR lost) would not have been necessary.
The Spokane Fire Department has proven that they are unwilling to protect our most vulnerable citizens from ambulance overbilling.
If you are sincere about improving trust in public safety, then a little transparency would go a long way.
A public reply to this simple request is respectfully requested.
Bill Jackman
SFD retired
RedCedar on February 11 at 11:01 a.m.
Good point about AMR. Like Waste Management and the two big school bus companies, they have a very profitable gig going. They take over for publicly run services by offering a deal the local government, fire commissioners, or school board can’t refuse — no up front money (usually offered at a time when the local authorities are considering major capital expenditures for new equipment), no employment hassles, and definite pay-as-you-go costs. Of course once the local authorities have gotten rid of their ambulances, school buses, and garbage trucks, along with the training, maintenance, and other support services, they are hooked and can never go back. Going back would mean passing a bond issue to buy new equipment to provide the same services that AMR, WM, etc are currently providing. It’s a nice racket if you can get into it. Personally, I think they’re all fronts for the mob, but I have no facts to back that up.
It’s news to me that AMR’s contract precludes the government from divulging what they charge. This sort of secrecy reminds me of the deals they have with the red-light camera outfits. Any sort of secrecy in government contracting should be flat-out illegal by statute.
brianrbreen on February 11 at 11:05 a.m.
@tomshal
I think that SOME of his appointees have been reaching out to the right people. I’m just am not trusting of SOME of the people who are giving him advise. It may take him awhile to figure out who is who, and I also wish him luck…he will need it.
reservedparking on February 11 at 11:36 a.m.
It’s amusing how everyone wants the government out of certain jobs (oh, let’s use school buses and garbage collection in this example), and then the same voices whine about these private entities charging too much/making too much/profiting too much?
You can’t have it both ways, folks, although you would make a great high school debate team.
Bill_Jackman on February 11 at 11:42 a.m.
Thanks Red Cedar,
Per court records, the prior ambulance overbilling went on for some 3 and a half years. People didn’t know that they were being overbilled because they trusted the Spokane FD to be their watchdog.
It was only after the Washington State Auditor paid the SFD a visit in April of 2005 that the overbilling was stopped. You can’t shout fire in a movie theater, but there was a raid at fire station #1 that got it stopped. I wonder who yelled “it’s a raid” at the fire Adm.?
The City receives about $300k/yr from AMR to dispatch ambulances and monitor the contract. The City doesn’t dispatch ambulances and the contract administration wasn’t being done per the Wa St Auditor. Some folks call this a kickback for all referrals for exclusive transports with 911. I think the penalty is around $50k per kickback payable to Uncle Sam if he ever finds out (so please don’t tell anybody about this).
http://www.emsvillage.com/articles/article.cfm?id=2106
I’m guessing there’s some financial reason or excuse why city officials are protecting AMR from disclosure. But that financial consideration is probably too complex for most folks to understand.
PlanB on February 11 at 11:58 a.m.
If he cares at all about public safety, he needs to find a way to fire Treppiedi as he promised. If he needs to fire Delaney, then so be it.
There’s some things that can be done now, and things that require forming committees. His results so far are zero.
RAMagney on February 11 at 12:12 p.m.
The real story is that the entire Emergency Medical System in
this city is a waste and a scam. AMR is a major part of it but
the Fire Department Administration is another major part of it.
If Condon is truly serious about public safety, he will have to do more than appoint committees that will be well facilitated by the
entrenched bureau of public larceny.
The mere fact that Delaney and Treppiedi are still on the payroll
is a pretty good weather vane in which way the wind is blowing.
Bill_Jackman on February 11 at 12:28 p.m.
Has Mayor Condon given any kind of public statement why he hasn’t fired Treppiedi? Or have the Spokane news reporters forgotten to ask that question?
All the muck and filth of Spokane politics will never go away without cleaning out city hall. Either fire Treppiedi or declare your intention to be another one term mayor!
greenlibertarian on February 11 at 12:55 p.m.
Delaney and Treppiedi are obviously the MOST powerful officials in all city government.
They know where all the bodies are buried, and how all the crooked contracts were consummated.
It will take an act of God to remove them.
I doubt Condon’s got the stones to do it, as the revelations of corruption will be massive and all-encompassing.
He’s a go along, get along sort, as are almost ALL pols. The insiders are telling him, “rock the boat, the ship will sink, and you will go down with it.”
PlanB on February 11 at 1:50 p.m.
I seem to remember reading that Condon stated Treppiedi serves at the will of the City Attorney - Delaney. A total dodge and in direct conflict with a promise he made.
??Riddler?? on February 11 at 3:53 p.m.
?? karl2002 & brianrbreen ??
?? Thanks karl for the link to PARC. Worthwhile reading ??
?? Should Spokane hire someone like PARC ??
?? Would something like the Force Board work in Spokane ??
?? What relationship - if any - would a Force Board have to the Ombudsman ?.
DickAdams on February 11 at 4:10 p.m.
tomnsahl: says,
“Sadly - nothing he or anyone else says/does will stop the mindless & agendized criticism from many of the blowhards who dominate the SR commentary.”
Seems to me, rather than call anybody who disagrees with your drivel, a mindless blowhard, spells out to me, you either work for the taxpayers or are a sanctimonious, pontificating holier than thou and you think you can walk on water.
IMO you deserve a prize, like maybe wining a trophy named the nincompoop award.
BTW tomnsahl, last time I checked, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and does include you. I`ll even accept your moronic logic, for what its worth.
brianrbreen on February 11 at 4:30 p.m.
@??Riddler??
It might, and the County does have something similar. The issue is always who picks the civilians and what is their background.
PARC is considered by some to be a liberal organization, on the other hand AELE, which does not approve of PARC, is considered conservative. So there are a bunch of diverse issues, ideas, and consulting groups out there. Since Spokane is stuck with this “Commission” I would hope that they look at everything, and take the time to visit places like Portland that have had problems, and when they do, not only talk to the Police Administrators, but also the Union Leaders. I would hope they don’t limit themselves to the sources Howard Delaney gave them.
June, to do a real good job, is totally unrealistic, and I would suspect they are beginning to realize that.
cassandracomplex on February 12 at 11:38 a.m.
I’m not a Spokane resident, but I would like to see a resolution panel, that would work with the public, on resolving disputes between police and other local government, and the public. There is no way law enforcement can do it’s job, without a mistake, ever. There needs to be a better way, where law enforcement can admit to honest mistakes, without being sued for millions, while the injured party can get some reasonable compensation and satisfaction, without having to risk their credibility being destroyed, or living in fear of retaliation for sticking up for their rights. I’d like to see this model adopted nation wide, by all local governments.
mary1958 on February 12 at 11:49 a.m.
I hope this “training” that they are going to give police and fire about mentally ill suspects is NOT in how to do therapy. I hope it is in how to TALK to someone cautiously ( in other words–not like they’re the biggest puke in Spokane) in order to facilitate their transport to a therapist or other helper. Opening up someones head out there may give the PD and FD a big surprise and the need to use a taser or handgun against the ill person.
??Riddler?? on February 12 at 6:05 p.m.
?? mary1958 ??
?? “Opening up someones head out there may give the PD and FD a big surprise and the need to use a taser or handgun against the ill person. ”??
?? By “Opening up someones head ” do you mean instant psychoanalysis, or the use of a police baton ??
mary1958 on February 16 at 11:44 p.m.
Apparently both are being done without the least amount of skill.