Monday, May 05, 2008
Who Runs The Police Department?
In a major setback to improving the consolidated police department under Mayor Greg Ballard, Public Safety Director Scott Newman announced today that the administration is suspending its national recruiting effort for a new IMPD Chief to replace Michael Spears according to the Star's Vic Ryckaert. “We’re not actively looking for that position right now,” Newman said. “We’re pleased with the way things are going.” The last time the City went outside to recruit a new chief was back in 1974 when the police department was rocked by a big corruption scandal. The decision to keep Spears, whose performance has been rocky to say the least, raises questions about who is calling the shots in the police department. Public disclosure a couple of years ago that Spears works security for the Indianapolis Colts on a part-time basis while acting as the IMPD Chief led me to lose all confidence in him. His $103,500 a year annual salary isn't enough for him apparently. The conflict of interest is simply unacceptable, particularly when you have players who too frequently have brushes with the law.
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3 comments:
The former IPD rank and file lost all respect for Mike Spears when, as head of security for the Colts while Chief, protected Marvin Harrison on an assaulting a Police Officer charge, to the extent of retrieving the parking garage video at the Circle Center Mall which captured the whole incident on the tape.
So much for leadership and standing up and doing the right thing for ones' subordinates, eh? In that former Mayor Peterson's incestual relationship with Jim Irsay precluded forcing Spears to do the right, legal thing, it was hoped by former IPD officers that Ballard (who knows of this incident) and as a leader of troops ala his Marine Corps service, would have demanded Spears' resignation. It didn't happen, and now, apparently, Ballard either cannot or will not get rid of this Chief. I suspect this will be the first but not last disillusionment of the men and women in Blue (IMPD, not the Colts) who thought Ballard was their messiah.
"Semper Fidelis", indeed... Sad
This is the same police chief who, while working "part-time" for the Colts, caused an EVIDENCE video tape of a Colts player ASSAULTING a police officer to disappear from the EVIDENCE ROOM.
Is THIS who you want leading YOUR police department?
Ask Scott Newman's driver about it.
From what I have seen, IMPD officers are going to be getting paid $60K/year starting around 2010. That is in the third year and does not factor in the take-home car and over-time pay. It is obvious the department has no choice but to raise pay if it wants to retain good people. Currently, Carmel and Fishers pretty much pay the same as IMPD. Carmel even offers a lateral pay scale transfer benefit. These and some other suburban departments are doing their best to lure the best and brightest. I can't believe I would ever see the day when cops are finally making a decent wage. I actually filed out some applications to some suburban departments this year, but decided to wait till next year due to other factors.
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