Published: October 15, 2008 07:53 am      

Some city conflicts still need resolution

Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-day series of stories examining the results of the Regional Community Policing Institute’s review of the Richmond Police Department.



“Meddling,” “political interference” and “micro-management” are just three catch phrases used by community members when asked to describe the relationship between city government and the city police.

“The relationship between the Richmond Police Department and the city appointed and elected officials can best be described as improving,” the on-site assessment of the Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) states.

The review, which included interviews, documentation surveys and other resource fact-finding from local citizens to elected officials, seems to indicate a rift between the commission and the RPD.

Many of those interviewed said they thought “The goals of city leadership differed from the police department’s” and one leader of a non-profit organization characterized the two agencies goals as “divergent.”

“The city has a comprehensive plan, but I don’t see them adhere 100 percent to that plan,” the anonymous community leader said. “They violate that plan all across government.”

One local judge said, “I think the city ignores what is going on with the police department.”

A police official in a neighboring jurisdiction thought the goals of the city and the police department “are opposite.”

“He felt the city ‘micro-managed’ the police department in ‘dictating’ the hiring and promotional process,” the report states.

Hiring practices

One point of contention in disagreements between city government and RPD seem to stem from hiring practices.

“He is learning that he works for us,” one city commissioner said about RPD Chief Larry Brock. “The commission has the hiring authority and he needs to inform the commission of what he wants and where he’s going.”

This commissioner also insisted, according to the RSPI report, that all new applicants would not be hired without being interviewed by the commission, which would then make the hiring decision.

“In the past, the hiring process was viewed by most as not being consistent,” Brock said Tuesday. “It changed from one application period to the next, which allowed the perception to develop that it was not a fair process.”

Brock said there has been steps taken to correct inconsistencies.

“We have tried to refine the hiring process to eliminate that perception and to ensure that we have the absolute best candidates for the job. These are important positions and we must seek out top quality people in the most fair and equitable way possible.”

Brock said the current process of hiring police officers is a joint effort between city and police.

“The current process allows the police department to fully screen all applicants and surface those best suited to perform the job,” Brock said. “Once these applications have successfully met all of the department’s requirements and standards, then they are submitted to the city commission for their review. They are the final decision makers in the hiring process. If we have done our job properly by sending only the best candidates forward, it should make their decision fairly easy.”

Political interference

There were a substantial number of comments made concerning perceived political interference in hiring sessions, although it was generally perceived that the most recent process as of the report, in January 2008, was free of political interference.

“Many persons interviewed from the community felt that the city commission wanted to do things as they had in the past and does not give the chief enough room to run the police department,” the report reads. “Many people, during both internal and external interviews, expressed a perception of too much political involvement in the day-to-day operations of the police department.”

RCPI suggests that these problems seem to be “an issue of role clarification.”

“It will be difficult to fully implement community policing if there is a continued perception of political interference in the police department,” the nine-panel RCPI group said. “This type of perceived interference causes distrust.”

A common goal

Brock said he thinks both the city and police, while sometimes at odds, are working toward a common goal.

“I believe the city commission wants us to have a professional police department that interacts with and serves the community well,” Brock said. “In the past, there may have been some conflict as to how that should be achieved or what was the best route to get there. We have tried to institute some programs and protocols to allow us to reach those goals, and the majority of the commission has been supportive.”

One point at which the city was seen as supportive of the police department was in a recent across-the-board pay raise for police employees.

“The chief indicated that he had received fairly good support for the recent budget,” RCPI found. “Pay was increased, the new police headquarters were completed and the home fleet program was implemented.”

Recommendations

RCPI’s recommendations concerning any rifts that may exist between city government and city police were as follows:

• For the police department to establish effective and clear lines of communication with elected and other government officials.

• The chief must take a “pro-active” approach to building a good relationship with the city manager.

“As the chief takes a more pro-active approach to deliberately becoming more engaged in community organizations, events and generally taking a higher profile in the community organizations, a higher profile and better working relationship will be made in the community,” the report states.

Brock agreed with the report’s conclusion.

“I believe that we have taken steps in the right direction, but we still have a distance to go,” he said. “The city manager, David Evans, and I both attend numerous community activities. He has always been supportive of my attempts to involved the department in numerous community activities.”

One example Brock gave was the summer camp at the Teen Center conducted by the RPD which had full support from the city, which provided transportation and outings for the children to Paradise Cove and the use of other facilities.

“This is just one example,” Brock said. “The commission also has increased our funding in the community service area to facilitate our outreach efforts to the community. This is a work in progress and we still have much to do in this area.”

Heather Harris can be reached at hharris@richmondregister.com or by phone at 624-6694 or 893-2341.