Bragdon Brings Stability, Hope

To put it mildly, Spokane is in a state of flux.

No city manager. Uncertainty with the mayor’s position. A districting system in the embryonic stages. The last thing the city needed was another long, involved search for a police chief.

Acting City Manager Pete Fortin did the right thing in making Bragdon the top cop, even if he doesn’t have a college degree.

Besides, it is difficult to make the case that he isn’t qualified, which is what the degree requirement is intended to ensure.

Bragdon has been a police officer for 27 years, all served in Spokane. He was the top cadet in his police academy class. He has taken college courses at Eastern Washington University and Washington State University. He is a graduate of the FBI’s Regional Command College in Oregon and is considered a national expert in crisis management. In fact, he has lectured college students on that topic. He was entrusted with the deputy chief position and twice has been named acting chief.

And let’s not forget that Bragdon has had 12 months to show his abilities as chief (five months between Mangan and Chertok and seven months since Chertok resigned).

Fortin’s decision to waive the college degree requirement will bring a measure of stability to a city trying to steer its way through a bumpy transition. It helps that Bragdon has the respect and backing of old and new leaders on the City Council.

Qualifications aside, there are concerns about a man who has toiled in a culture that values secrecy and control. The Spokane Police Department has often been compared to a military organization. Such a structure can be useful in bringing about order and discipline, but it fails if officers treat others as “civilians,” rather than fellow citizens with shared goals in fighting crime.

Bragdon, who understands community policing, has shown that he appreciates the value of working with the public. It is in that spirit that we hope he considers measures to build trust, especially among minorities.

The local NAACP chapter has already expressed disappointment at the Bragdon appointment. In the past, the two sides would dig in. We hope to see compromise. We hope Bragdon sees the value of a truly independent citizens review panel that can handle potential problems, such as police misconduct and racial profiling.

It’s not enough to dismiss complaints by saying, “That’s not a problem here.”

Bragdon has mentioned that many officers hired around the time of Expo ‘74 are now heading into retirement, and that the department has a lot of young, new talent. Good leadership can infuse these officers with the values of community policing and a willingness to communicate openly and listen to public concerns.