Police association supports chief appointment

Wed., Aug. 3, 2016

By Rachel Alexander rachela@spokesman.com (509) 459-5406

A union for the city’s police brass released a statement Wednesday supporting the appointment of Craig Meidl as the department’s new chief.

The Lieutenants and Captains Association’s statement cited Meidl’s two decades of experience in the department.

“In recent years, the Spokane Police Department has seen a great deal of transition and we are committed to improving under Chief Meidl’s leadership. We are optimistic that Chief Meidl’s appointment will bring stability to our department and that stability will translate to improved service to the community,” the statement said.

The association’s president, Lt. Dave McCabe, said Wednesday that he and several members of the association had concerns about the process Mayor David Condon used to appoint Meidl and called the decision “a shock.”

But those concerns, which he voiced Monday following the appointment, are independent from his support for Meidl, he said.

“This was way outside the norm, but our members are more ready to support Craig,” McCabe said. “We just want all the drama to go away, get back to our jobs.”

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