Straub Sends Chief Out To Defend Him

 

Under growing heat, Public Safety Director Frank Straub apparently ordered IMPC Chief Paul Ciesielski to hold a press conference this afternoon to assure the media he's got Straub's back. It looks like Straub is particularly incensed by a Craig's List posting that was linked on this blog's first report on the turmoil brewing within IMPD over Straub's dictatorial management style. An anonymous IMPD officer posted comments on Craig's List that makes a number of accusations against Straub. Some of the accusations include:

• Appointed a new chief of police and then turned around and told the new chief that he (Straub) runs the dept., not the chief.
• Ordered the creation of new collar brass for all IMPD officers to wear on their uniforms that read "Public Safety dept." instead of IMPD.....not a real big deal except for the fact that officers were required to go out and purchase new collor brass less than 6 months ago (out of their own pockets) and now will have to purchase the new collar brass that the director is mandating be worn.
• There is talk about taking away the take home cars that officers currently have. While this may save money, it will also REDUCE police presence throughout the city and we can all watch the crime rates sore even higher.
• (my favorite) Straub wants to somehow combnine police and fire services including cross training officers in fire fighter tactics and having officers carry fire gear in the police cars. I'm not sure where he gets these ideas, but even a fully cross trained officer with turnout gear isn't going to do a damned thing to extingush a fire before a piece of fire apparatus arrives with a way to pump water from a hydrant and something to pump it thru (a hose)...so what exactly is going to be accomplished with this move??? There is also talk about having all of the IMPD roll call site moved into IFD firehouses.
• Straub apparently needs a "protection detail" of 2 officers with him at all times. ( the mayor only has one officer detailed to him at a time) Here is a real cost savings move for the city.
• Lastly, he (Straub) has made it known that he will crush any opposition from within the dept. to his ideas and has made an example of several officers who have questioned or openly opposed any of his plans for public safety. (Has anyone noticed a certain public info officer with IMPD that we no longer see on the news....he was moved to a late shift district position after challenging Straub on several concerns that he had about the planned changes) So much for open dialogue within the dept. and the officers' ability to speak freely about concerns they have. I mean hell, they're JUST the people out there putting their lives on the line each day they go out.....why should they have a say in how these changes affect them?

Ballard tried to get a little creative with this appointment. The guy is obviously a complete disaster in this job. I question the need for a Public Safety Director when you have chiefs over the police and fire departments already. It just seems like an unnecessary bureaucratic layer between the mayor and the police and fire departments. Before Ballard became mayor, you hardly knew who the public safety director was because the person who held the post generally kept a pretty low profile. Even as well known as Scott Newman was when he assumed the post, you didn't see him on TV and in print constantly speaking about matters that would be handled by police spokespersons or the chief. Straub clearly has an over-sized ego that is not serving him well. And it's not clear at all that he brings the appropriate skill set to this job. He certainly can't be said to have good people skills or he wouldn't find himself in the mess he finds himself right now.