The Morning Call reported yesterday afternoon that interim Police Chief Alsleben has resigned, effective September 6, and that he is the fourth resignation in four years. They also reported that community activists had a issue with him. I believe that both those points need some examination.
The first resignation they mentioned was Chief Joel Fitzgerald. They omit mentioning that his son was arrested for pointing a gun at county detectives, and then subsequently sued the county for racial profiling, after he was acquitted. Never mind that Fitzgerald was the product of a national search by the Pawlowski regime, presumably to help avoid racial tension. Fitzgerald went on to Fort Worth, Texas, where he has since been fired, for overstating his accomplishments in Allentown. Before being let go by Fort Worth, he unsuccessfully applied for the chief job in Baltimore. In regard to Alseleben's resignation, former chief and current council president Roger MacLean recommended that Allentown not resort to another national search. By the way, the paint job on the police car shown above was the brainchild of Chief Kuhn, result of another national search,... He was imported from Chicago.
Also in the Call's article, Milagros Canales, President of the Old Fairgrounds Neighborhood, recently faulted Alsleben for not being more visible out in the community....That was never part of the job description for Allentown police chief. There always have been some politics involved in the department. In that regard, council member Ed Zucal, himself a former officer, has been advocating Captain Glenn Granitz for chief. Granitz has been very visible in the community, often representing the department at community meetings. Although I'm not certain who the next chief will be, I'm glad that he or she will likely be chosen from within the department.
photocredit:The Morning Call
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wish I shared your optimism.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that due to the early retirements, the APD doesn't have ANYBODY with the experience needed to run the department to effectively combat crime in the city. We might get somebody who's better at communicating with residents, or better at doing what the APD has been doing, but that doesn't mean that they'll have a cohesive strategy to police the city.
And while I certainly agree that the two Chiefs we got from the national searches were not good CHOICES, I don't think that means that a national (or maybe a regional) search is a bad thing. Opening up the pool of candidates will certainly expose all involved (including the public) to different ideas and strategies, something sorely needed in the city. In addition, a national or regional search doesn't necessarily exclude members of the APD who are interested in applying, but it would give us more to choose from if desired.
And that last point is important, since I think the real issue with a national/regional search is if the decision to expand the search area actually limits the choices. I don't remember Afflerbach's reasoning for choosing Kuhn, but I think it was clear upfront that Pawlowski wasn't going to choose anybody from within the department before he chose Fitzgerald.
This brings us to the real problem with the selection of any chief: The people who are doing the choosing. I don't think that Ray O'Connell is up to the job of mayor in general, and have zero faith that he'll pick someone with the right qualifications or for the right reasons. More than likely, he'll kowtow to neighborhood activists and choose someone willing to coddle criminals and put the activists’ agendas ahead of choosing someone who will do what's necessary to effectively fight crime in the city.
Unfortunately, things aren't any better over in City Council, where the disproportional representation of former police officers will further complicate the issue. In addition to the Captain you mention is favored by Zucal, former Chief MacLean is advocating for one of the two current assistant chiefs. Hendricks hasn't publicly said who he favors, but almost certainly has someone in mind. Personal relationships between those councilmen and their favored candidates will influence their decisions, and that's never good for a selection process.
And as much as I worry about the problem of having three former officers on Council, they're still the top three on a weak Council team. After this next election, I expect a further downgrade in the bottom four, something I previously hadn't thought was possible.
Allentown is just another city that is doomed by the poor choices made its voters, who don't even realize their role in the city's decline.
All bad choices with regard to Police Chief. Kuhn's was a total disaster, big city thinker in a small town. Glad he was sent packing. Fitzgerald, just another revolving Chief on the lookout for the next best salary. Former Cops on City Council only cloud the waters. Best they run City Council & stay out of police business. A sorry Circus of politicians, former cops and a Mayor not in touch with reality.
ReplyDeleteTony Alsleben was never qualified to be police chief. As a Sergeant his shift never performed to the levels of the others. He had multiple issues as a PSA Captain, first on the East Side, then in Center City. So he was laterally moved to the Administrative Captain where he could do no harm. Unfortunately when Glen Dorney resigned and Gail Struss turned down the Police Chief position, then Mayor O'Connell made the first of several poor choices. But Tony Alsleben was the protégé of former Police Chief & current City Council President Roger MacLean.
ReplyDeleteThese are the results of all the years of Pawloski group think.
ReplyDelete