Wow. I can't believe I'm actually excited about a police chief. She's absolutely right about the purpose and practice of police work.

Now if only there was some way to get rid of the existing "wrong kind of officers".... One way has to be lots and lots of anti-racism and social justice training -- it's the kind of thing that breeds resistance, but it does eventually sink in if you keep hammering away at their thick skulls.

Re the "wrong kind of officers." This reminds me of a story I heard many years ago, about a guy who returned to his high school reunion and noted the men who became police officers -- they had been the school bullies and troublemakers, the guys stealing hubcaps and otherwise bothering people.

Changing police culture by changing recruiting; makes sense to me. I too am cautiously hopeful that Chief O'Toole will be a prime mover in righting this ship and making Seattle proud of its police force.

@2

The process itself is well documented here -

http://www.seattle.gov/police/jobs/hirin…

The most relevant pre-employment portion in determining character would seem to be the Oral Board.

The SPD hiring website also details some of their recruitment activities, which are what you would expect - partnership with CBO's, job fairs, and colleges.

Oh man I think I can hear the blood vessels bursting in the heads of the reactionary wing of the police union (the 'wrong kind of people' that is) from where I am sitting right now.

@4

Thx.

& my thought that sometimes questions to a public official can act as suggestion to do more than "what you would expect".

Given that the only person I've ever known who became a police officer was the neighborhood bully who tormented me and my friends with an axe on a regular basis, I'd say she's right on about attracting the wrong sort. It'd be nice if that changed, but there's a lot to undo there.

I wonder

1. if she offered too-loose talk with that "recruited the wrong type of people to policing"?

or

2. she was deliberate and decided that playing nice won't work and is prepared to "go to the mat" and "draw a line in the sand" (love those metaphors!) with the "wrong type" and make them shape up or fire them?

I don't follow the issue enough but her words seem very provocative. Maybe she wants to get the words out to force the Mayor/Council to either back her 100%? or give them opportunity to chicken out and not hire her?

I would also note that politics also attracts the wrong sort of people to it as well. exhibit a: every republican senator.

"I wouldn't want to join any club that would have me as a member".

The Stranger writer in question was allowed to write about a positive decision made by Murray. Frozen pigs are flying out my ass in hell.

I'm a gay man who started the process to become an officer several years ago. I do not fit the mold of an officer in the least. Every step of the way I received nothing but encouragement because the skillset I had (A LOT of customer service and dealing with multiple ethnicities) was desired by the PD. I chose not to pursue the career change for several reasons, but there are a lot of personalities in SPD who agree with the prospective new chief.

Now the question is, will we give her a fair shake and give her enough time to get her reforms in motion? Reforming the PD is but one step of the equation, as residents, thinking of officers as allies instead of something to be feared is another step. The first instance of bad behavior by the PD on her watch will be scrutinized by the citizens and the media. How she handles it will cement her reputation for many.

@11, "we" don't have the power to give or not give her a fair shake. Murray and the feds have that power. Considering that Harry Bailey was chosen by Murray, tolerated by the federal monitor and Jennie Durkan, and should have been tossed within a week, caution is advised.

They all said good shit in the beginning.

A dear friend of mine, an old Quaker wrote a lot about policing - particularly how policing was looking more like soldiering, and soldiering was looking more like policing. He proposed that there be a public service police corp - like America Corp or VISTA. This would rotate people from the community through the Department and there would always be a significant contingent of "non-life-time professionals" in the ranks. He felt it was important to knock apart the we/they element of policing and get them more intimately connected to the community. I like it. He saw it like the draft.

@8 It may not be necessary to fire them. If staying in the barrel requires that the rotten apples have to toe the line (at least attend "liberal" training regularly) and the culture of the department improves, maybe they'll self-deport to another department elsewhere that's more comfortable for them.

I knew when I read the headline that this smartest thing Anna has hear in a long time would be some inane heartwarming drivel. And so it came to be.