Police Chief To Step Down Next Summer Mangan To Retire In July 1998

Spokane Police Chief Terry Mangan plans to retire next summer.

Mangan, who was hired as chief in July 1987, recently gave his 15-month notice to city officials, saying he wants to step down in July 1998.

That would give him 11 years at the helm of the nearly 300-member department, matching his stint as chief in Bellingham.

“That’s pretty much been my plan all along,” Mangan said Wednesday.

City Manager Bill Pupo, who just returned from vacation, had little to say about the announcement.

Pupo said the City Council hasn’t been notified of Mangan’s decision and that he hasn’t drafted a plan to find a new chief.

“I don’t want to comment on it yet,” Pupo said.

Mangan, 59, said he would stay on a few months beyond his chosen retirement date, if asked, to help the new chief get accustomed to the job and “ensure a smooth transition.”

He said he has not decided what he will do after he steps down. “I have several options available to me,” he said.

In his first 10 years, Mangan built the Spokane department into a national model for community-oriented policing and worked hard to build up the number of officers on the streets.

But he also became involved in several high-profile controversies, including pointing a loaded shotgun at three men who parked near his house last year.

Prosecutors decided not to bring charges in the case, but Mangan was docked four days’ pay for using foul language in the encounter.

, DataTimes