City of Ithaca
Chief of Police Search Process
Alum Protests City's Treatment of Police
To the Editor:
Of all the cheap shots at the Ithaca Police Department, The Sun's headline yesterday "Ithacans Accuse IPD of Tainting Search" is the absolute worst I have ever seen. Every person to whom I showed the headline assumed the article was about the fabrication of evidence or some other police wrong doing. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It was about the presentation of survey results.
The members of the Ithaca Police Department were asked to give their views on the characteristics they felt were important for the new police chief. A large proportion of them took the time to do so. The members of the Ithaca community were asked to give their views on the characteristics they felt were important for a new police chief. In spite of substantial advertising and several scheduled meetings, only a small proportion of the community participated.
Apparently, the results of both surveys were combined and the members of the search committee did not like the results. Now the police officers are being accused of "tainting" the results and of "intentionally rating important priorities low on a ranking scale."
Whose priorities was the information measuring? First, without reporting the results separately, there is no way of knowing whether it is the police officers or the general population who may not agree that "diversity is the main concern" in the community, as asserted by screening committee member, Cecilia Vargas. Secondly, while diversity is no doubt very important, from a police officer's stand point, I would say that concern for the safety of all members of the community, including police officers', might reasonably have a higher priority.
It has now been a year since the police chief left. Not one person has been interviewed. How many more delays and how much more police bashing will the Ithaca Police Department have to endure before they have a much needed leader?
I am sure I am not the only one who is beginning to wonder why anyone would want the job in this community.
Rebecca Vallely '79
The Cornell Daily Sun
February 12, 1997
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