City of Ithaca
Chief of Police Search Process
EDITORIAL:
City Shortchanged in Police Chief Pick
Six finalists are visiting the city this month and next, but there are no public forums to hear their viewpoints and ask questions. The city's personnel administrator says the candidates could possibly be fired if their bosses found out they were looking for another position.
We understand the premise, but given the importance of the chief's job to the community, the process is a poor one. The candidates should have been told that full-scale community input is part of life here. These are not ordinary times for a city with a growing crime rate. Every resident has a vested interest in the next chief.
A number of top professional positions -- including Ithaca College's president and the Ithaca school superintendent -- have recently been filled in Tompkins County by people who were holding jobs elsewhere. Everybody had a chance to hear the candidates' philosophies, not just those who were willing to commit to a six-month search process.
No one can tell us that the employer of every candidate might not think this person is looking for a new job or that the candidate -- who likely has numerous civil service protections -- will get fired if that becomes known. The city is also fooling itself by thinking that word won't get out. Each candidate is talking to several "stake holder" groups -- who don't represent everybody -- and it is cold fact that Ithacans like to talk.
The Ithaca Journal
April 28, 1997
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