Our View: Culture shift
Spokane has come a long way in a short time when it comes to oversight and accountability for the Police Department.
Last summer, the head of the Civilian Review Commission, the Rev. Lonnie Mitchell, said this in a Spokesman-Review article about his group not taking up a case in 10 years: “When Roger Bragdon was chief, he took care of the complaints. The complainants were satisfied – they didn’t come to us. I think relations here with the police are pretty good.”
In the same article, Mayor Dennis Hession hit the wrong note when he said this about a system where police investigated citizen complaints and the chief decided whether to forward them to the committee: “To me, that’s an appropriate, fair and open process where concerns of citizens can be redressed. I don’t think I’ve received one negative comment from any citizen about the conduct of a police officer in the six months I’ve been mayor.”
Since then, the mayor has hired an outsider, Anne Kirkpatrick, as police chief and accepted the recommendations of a consultant who said the city should adopt an independent ombudsman position to oversee complaints and to help educate the public and its leaders on proper police procedures.
A telltale sign of this positive change emerged from a recent article about the night an off-duty, inebriated police officer shot a fleeing man. The officer, James “Jay” Olsen, told an investigator that he wanted to talk to his lawyer “because of the state of the climate with the new chief.”
Good riddance to the old system, where such a case might have been shielded from public view. Welcome to the new system that better appreciates ethics, professionalism and transparency.
But such a sweeping cultural shift bears scrutiny and requires consistent political and public support. Kirkpatrick, for one, will need a mayor and council that are of one mind on this issue, just in case the old guard within the department seeks back channels to unravel reforms.
Elected leaders can begin by providing for a strong ombudsman’s office. That means giving it the resources it will need to conduct reviews and produce comprehensive reports. The Boise office has a four-person staff and an annual budget of $269,000. Given the credibility gap created by the Otto Zehm case and others over the years, such an investment is needed to boost the public’s confidence in the police force.
As the consultant’s report states, “the status quo is simply not a credible option.”
However, the commitment doesn’t end there. Our leaders must also respect the independence of the position and defend it against the inevitable critics, which may include potent political forces, such as the police union.
Recently, Hession hit the right note when he announced that an ombudsman would be in place next year: “We are committed to the importance of this.”
Such a turnabout is music to our ears.