Resignation of Oakland's Police Chief Sean Whent

[Ultrarunner]

Her Aunt is also a Dispatcher.

There was a time when a parent would face child endangerment based on the actions of reported.

Think about it... how in this world can a 12 year old be turning tricks?

The 12 year olds in my family and extended family simply wouldn't NEVER have the chance/opportunity.

My nieces have often said Mom knows everything... and they are right.

I wish someone could explain the rational how the girls parents/family get a pass?

I have met with O'Mally when she came to my work to take my statement and later appear in court as a witness...

On a separate issue I have twice filed complaints directly with the DA on Bait and Switch and False Advertising... one against Circuit City and once with a Car Dealership... both time the DA followed up.

So I know of what I speak from personal experience.

Please explain to me how the sudden departure of Whent has helped the city???

There is a right way and a wrong way to handle things and the prima facie evidence of 5 leaders in two weeks is proof enough the kids are in charge and have monumentally screwed up.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

City Hall is once again naive as to how the real world works...

These are words of gold.

Reminds me of a publicly elected official in a Southern California city who had a meeting with small business owners, stayed quiet while the business owners gave their presentations, and then gave, IIRC, a 7 word answer that showed he/she wasn't listening and never intended to consider the input of the small business owners, and then waked out of the room.

I'm being deliberately vague in the above paragraph because I don't feel like getting in a pointless debate with 2sleepy re the subject, which has been discussed at length and minds aren't going to be changed re that subject.

Also reminds me of something George McGovern said.

He opened an inn/hotel in New England after being in the Senate.

The Inn went belly up.

At some point after that, he said something to the effect 'If I'd known how hard it is to run a business, I might have voted differently in the Senate'.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Her Aunt is also a Dispatcher. There was a time when a parent would face child endangerment based on the actions of reported. Think about it... how in this world can a 12 year old be turning tricks? The 12 year olds in my family and extended family simply wouldn't NEVER have the chance/opportunity. My nieces have often said Mom knows everything... and they are right. I wish someone could explain the rational how the girls parents/family get a pass? .

I'm not defending the mother, but for heaven's sake blaming her for bad parenting does NOT make it ok for Whent to have ignored the issue.

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I have met with O'Mally when she came to my work to take my statement and later appear in court as a witness...On a separate issue I have twice filed complaints directly with the DA on Bait and Switch and False Advertising... one against Circuit City and once with a Car Dealership... both time the DA followed up. So I know of what I speak from personal experience.

That's entirely different, the DA will directly file some consumer affairs complaints as well as some bad check cases, if you are the victim of a rape or burglary you cannot walk into the DA's office and talk to the DA about it, you need to report crimes to the police.

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Please explain to me how the sudden departure of Whent has helped the city???

That's already been asked and answered in this thread, he failed to do anything about the unlawful and immoral activities of Officers in his department, not just the Guap incidents, but the racists texts and the cop who was having his girlfriend write his reports and the Stanford report on racial bias in car stops and other police activity. Whent's failure to act on ANY of those issues is evidence that he needs to be gone ASAP.

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

There is a right way and a wrong way to handle things and the prima facie evidence of 5 leaders in two weeks is proof enough the kids are in charge and have monumentally screwed up.

What 5 leaders, how did you arrive at 5? I thought it was 3 and there is now a deputy chief who is "sort of" in charge but reports to the Civilian administrator. What this all illustrates is that the Mayor and the City adminstrator need to bring on a retired Police Chief to clean house and involve him (or her) in the hiring process for a new Chief. Joe Kreins or Chris Magnus (if he could be bribed to leave Tucson) come to mind

With all due respect, I think you are mistaken in thinking that Whent was such a great chief, it sounds to me like he was good at schmoozing with local citizens but not much else, as far as the crime rate- he can't "lower the crime rate" there is very very little any Police Chief can do about the crime rate, they are quick to own the data when the numbers go down and if it goes up they usually blame the City Council for not hiring more cops.

[ashpelham]

Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical

OPD is dysfunctional beyond repair. By far the worst run department in CA

And, man, there's a lot of competition for that title.

Yeah, i watched the OJ Special on ESPN....

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I'm not defending the mother, but for heaven's sake blaming her for bad parenting does NOT make it ok for Whent to have ignored the issue.

That's entirely different, the DA will directly file some consumer affairs complaints as well as some bad check cases, if you are the victim of a rape or burglary you cannot walk into the DA's office and talk to the DA about it, you need to report crimes to the police.
That's already been asked and answered in this thread, he failed to do anything about the unlawful and immoral activities of Officers in his department, not just the Guap incidents, but the racists texts and the cop who was having his girlfriend write his reports and the Stanford report on racial bias in car stops and other police activity. Whent's failure to act on ANY of those issues is evidence that he needs to be gone ASAP.
What 5 leaders, how did you arrive at 5? I thought it was 3 and there is now a deputy chief who is "sort of" in charge but reports to the Civilian administrator. What this all illustrates is that the Mayor and the City adminstrator need to bring on a retired Police Chief to clean house and involve him (or her) in the hiring process for a new Chief. Joe Kreins or Chris Magnus (if he could be bribed to leave Tucson) come to mind

With all due respect, I think you are mistaken in thinking that Whent was such a great chief, it sounds to me like he was good at schmoozing with local citizens but not much else, as far as the crime rate- he can't "lower the crime rate" there is very very little any Police Chief can do about the crime rate, they are quick to own the data when the numbers go down and if it goes up they usually blame the City Council for not hiring more cops.

He must have done something right as council and the Obama Administration were in his corner and have publicly said so...

Ousting a leader when no property vetted replacement is irresponsible putting it mildly...

As for a leadership...

Whent

Fairow

Figueroa

Landreth

Downing

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

He must have done something right as council and the Obama Administration were in his corner and have publicly said so...
Ousting a leader when no property vetted replacement is irresponsible putting it mildly...
As for a leadership...
Whent
Fairow
Figueroa
Landreth
Downing

Landreth is not the Police Chief and Downing is acting assistant Chief, the reason for that is that there are certain administrative functions in a Police Dept. that state law requires to be performed by a sworn officer.
State backtracks, says Oakland can go without acting police chief - SFGate

I don't care if the Pope gave his blessing to Whent, the guy should have stepped up to the plate and acted on the information he had about the scandals that were occurring during his watch.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Landreth is not the Police Chief and Downing is acting assistant Chief, the reason for that is that there are certain administrative functions in a Police Dept. that state law requires to be performed by a sworn officer.
State backtracks, says Oakland can go without acting police chief - SFGate

I don't care if the Pope gave his blessing to Whent, the guy should have stepped up to the plate and acted on the information he had about the scandals that were occurring during his watch.

Oakland is a Charter City and exempt... even the State required clarification on this point.

We all know how well things are going since Whent's departure.

I did my best to express my concerns which were dismissed by many.

To be frank... I never imagined my concerns and then some would materialize so quickly...

If I may, how long have you resided in Oakland?

The reason I ask is everyone has an opinion about Oakland, yet, often the most vocal have never lived in Oakland.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

If I may, how long have you resided in Oakland? The reason I ask is everyone has an opinion about Oakland, yet, often the most vocal have never lived in Oakland.

I've never lived in Oakland, but I have family who have lived there. Two of my great aunts and my great uncle lived in Oakland for over 80 years, my Grandparents lived there for about a decade and my son lived there for a few years.

And and I know a little bit about Oakland PD, I worked in law enforcement for 24 years in the SF Bay Area, My brother was the Asst. Police Chief in a City near Oakland, and my ex husband was a CHP Officer who was assigned to the Oakland Office.

[Ultrarunner]

My closest connection is my Uncle who died in the line of duty... he was not OPD

Chief Hart was a friend of my parents... way before I was born my father spent a year as a Nevada Deputy.

Twelve of my high school friends in Oakland became Oakland Police Officers... 10 men and 2 women.

None work for the department now... some went out on disability, the rest to other departments with one becoming Chief of a nearby department and another assistant Chief which will always be a mystery to me.

Just about anywhere in the Bay Area you will find Police Officers that went through the Oakland Academy...

I have gone on several Citizen Ride Alongs... most OPD but also San Leandro and Alameda County...

OPD was night and day different than the others... the shifts fly by in the blink of an eye... shootings, break ins, disturbing the peace, 5150 calls... it was nonstop... it was the first time I saw someone laying in the street with a bullet... he was not talking nor was anyone else...

The craziest thing was getting flagged down for a drug deal gone bad... the woman said the dealer cheated her and wanted the dealer arrested... the FTO said he would also have to arrest her and she said fine and that is what happened... boy was the Dealer upset.

San Leandro was mostly writing tickets and Alameda County was one car theft and several wellness checks...

The biggest difference I saw in Oakland is citizen involvement... those in the Hills are more than willing to insist on a police report and provide detailed information... not so much you leave the hills...

The latest report is a group is demanding the mayor step down as this happened on her watch... you just can't make this stuff up.