A long-time independent law enforcement watchdog in Spokane, Washington has filed a complaint with the Spokane Police Department's ombudsman accusing Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub, the former Indianapolis Public Safety Director, with misrepresentation according to the Spokesman Review.
The complaint filed by a former spokesman for the Center for Justice, Tim Connor, arises from statements Straub made while testifying before the Mayor's Use of Force Commission on the use of body cameras by the department's police officers. A public television recording of Straub's testimony before the Commission meeting earlier this year includes statements that the department was working with the Center for Justice to develop policies and procedures relating to the use of body cameras.
Connor's complaint claims that the department was not working with the Center for Justice to get input and advice as claimed by Straub. “Because the Chief either knew, or should have known, that these statements were untrue he either misrepresented the facts or was negligent in his misrepresentations,” Connor wrote in the complaint. The Center's executive director, Rick Eichstadt, who said the Center is not a part of Conner's complaint, confirmed that the organization wasn't involved in developing policies for the use of body cameras.
Days after Connor's complaint was filed, a second complaint filed by a retired police officer accused Straub of providing false information to the Spokane City Council during a budget presentation. Straub told the council that the police department responds to 8,000 domestic calls per year. Brian Breen's complaint says the 8,000 figure Straub provided to the council is more than double what the department has reported annually to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. “There are two things that become blatantly obvious when reviewing the data SPD has submitted to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) in 2009 through 2013, either the statements made by Mr. Straub to those in attendance at a very important budget meeting were false, or the Spokane Police Department has not been following State Law,” Breen wrote in his complaint.
Since Straub's departure as Indianapolis' Public Safety Director, his actions concerning the Regional Operations Center lease have come under intense scrutiny by a city council investigating committee. It has come to light that Straub and his staff destroyed virtually all of the records pertaining to that one-sided lease agreement that was entered into to lease the former Eastgate Mall property now owned by Alex Carroll, a politically-connected campaign contributor of Mayor Ballard. It was also learned that Straub had ordered WCTY not to record meetings of the Public Safety Board for nearly a one-year period while discussions regarding the ROC were taking place. Many council members believe Straub misled council members about many aspects of the lease when its approval was rammed through the council in 2011 ahead of the 2012 Super Bowl.
Did Straub have the authority to supress recordings of the public safety board?
ReplyDeleteWhat a freakin’ joke to learn that America’s worst-ever City County Council is “now” investigating the lugubrious Herr Straub’s involvement in- and apparent as daylight mishandling of- the ROC. Had the mostly useless Indianapolis City County Council “intensely” poured over the ROC scam as it unfolded – and as far wiser persons advocated strenuously at the time in vain- perhaps Mary Moriarty Adams and Ben Hunter’s east side neighborhood voters wouldn’t be so burdened with the blighted Eastgate Mall area that is the ROC. This was all so predictable from the moment the Planet’s worst-ever mayor selected the out-of-town Straub over qualified local talent- a trait the ex-marine stubbornly and stupidly exhibits to this day.
ReplyDeleteProfessional politician Democrat Mary Moriarty Adams and her sidekick Republican Ben Hunter (among others) should be run out of town on a high-speed rail over their highly questionable involvement in what appears on its face to be an insider ROC deal. And it’s a crony deal gone way bad.
If this is the type of judgment Indy taxpayers can expect from members of the Democrat party and the Democrat Lite party the City will continue to circle the drain just as has Detroit.
Is it true, they just found Straub's lost records in Lois Lerner's office?
ReplyDeleteThat guy is clearly shown to be a stereotypical NYC crook!
ReplyDeleteThe damage he's done here, the destruction of documents, the cronyism, the quid-pro-quo to his cronies on the East Coast at OUR EXPENSE.
The pattern of behavior is crystal clear!
If Spokane residents attempt to reject complete Straubification, then what's next? -Will they reject a new Cricket Stadium funded by taxPAYERS?
ReplyDeleteWhy all the uproar, Mayor Marine is one of the best Democrat Mayors in Indianapolis history!
ReplyDeleteSeems to be quite a bit buyers remorse in Indy lately!
Herr Straub is the last nail in the coffin for Mayor Marine with Hogsett
running for Mayor!
Homer Simpson Straub, joke!!!!!!!!! How much money and to whom did he pay it to get the Chief job in Spokane? Just another throw away who should have been fired years ago but the unions condone just letting him move somewhere else like HERE. Go away Homer.
ReplyDelete