Editorial: City leaders taking steps to gain back public’s trust

Mayor David Condon’s new appointee as city attorney, Nancy Isserlis, is making key changes to the legal department that we hope will topple the fortress mentality that has pitted City Hall against those it serves. Some of the reforms are designed to prevent the kind of perceived conflicts of interest that have damaged public trust in the recent past, especially in cases involving police officers.

Rocky Treppiedi, the longtime legal bulldog for the Police Department, was fired in May. His decisions in the Otto Zehm case were just the latest in a long line of overly aggressive acts that put the department’s interests ahead of justice. The last straw came when Zehm was blamed for his in-custody death, a legal stance that remains incomprehensible.

Federal authorities complained of conflicts of interest in the Zehm case as the city defended itself against a lawsuit while one of the subjects in the civil case, Officer Karl Thompson Jr., was also facing criminal charges. As part of the changes, city attorneys will no longer be involved in criminal cases involving city employees.

Treppiedi’s replacement, Spokane Police Adviser Mary Muramutsu, recently informed the city’s Use of Force Commission that the Police Department will be changing how it investigates the alleged wrongdoing of its officers. For one thing, she noted that “firewalls” will be constructed to prevent conflicts of interest. Citing the ongoing Otto Zehm case, the City Attorney’s Office has declined to go into specifics, so we can’t judge the potential effectiveness of this new structure.

But the acknowledgment of the problem is progress.

In addition, Muramutsu will not be a litigator in cases against the city. Her role will be to prevent lawsuits with improved police practices. As a step in that direction, she wants the department to become accredited, which involves meeting hundreds of standards. Fifty-six law enforcement agencies in the state have achieved and maintained accreditation, including the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Cheney Police Department.

“I’m certain that Spokane is ready. I have no idea if they’re willing,” said Mike Painter, director of professional services for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, who reviewed the process for the Use of Force Commission.

While the police union might be reluctant, the department is in no position to resist a step that Muramutsu calls “crucial.”

It will be a long road back to credibility, but the city’s new leaders have made important changes. Condon has acknowledged mistakes in the Zehm case and issued a heartfelt apology. All of the key players in past scandals are gone.

Many more reforms are needed, but the momentum is encouraging.