City Administrator Jestin Johnson Responsible For Police Chief Search Not Police Commission - Oaknews
City Administrator Jestin Johnson Responsible For Police Chief Search Not Police Commission
City Administrator Jestin Johnson Responsible For Police Chief Search Not Police Commission In this made-by-TV and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao controversy with the Oakland Police Chief, what we have is Mayor Thao, once again, acting against the Oakland City Charter in the handling of a police-related situation. And once again, the City Administrator's involved. First, it was the firing of popular and effective Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong – done without the presence of the City Administrator. Now, it's Thao pointing fingers at the Oakland Police Commission regarding the selection of a consultant to be used in the process of hiring a new Police Chief – when the Oakland City Charter points to, you guessed it, the City Administrator. Mayor Thao claims that the reason bringing in a replacement for Chief Armstrong has gone so slow is that the Police Commission has not found a consultant. Folks, in Oakland personnel matters I always ask “What does the City Charter say?” I do that for two reasons: first, it's the law of the City of Oakland. Second, in a “strong mayor” era in Oakland, the person at the top had a tendency to violate it. So, let's read the Charter to learn what it says. Here it is: 2.29.020 - Police Department. There is established in the City government a Police Department which shall be under the supervision and administrative control of the City Administrator. The powers, functions and duties of said Department shall be those assigned, authorized and directed by the City Administrator. The management and operation of the Police Department shall be the responsibility of the Chief of Police who shall serve as Director of said Department, subject to the direction of the City Administrator. Note that the City Administrator is mentioned not once, but three times: Basically, the City Administrator controls the administration of the Oakland Police Department, is responsible for powers, functions and duties of it, while the management and operation of the same departnent is in the hands of the Chief of Police as its director, who, in turn is “subject to the direction of the City Administrator.” Got that? So, the question should be why is the City Administrator so slow at finding a new Chief of Police, and not the Oakland Police Commission? My guess is that it's because they have hired a new City Administrator named Jestin Johnson, who hails from Atlanta. But a new man at the helm should not stop the operation of a well-ran city, right? Since the Mayor's in charge, and hires the City Administrator, shouldn't Mayor Thao have allowed or directed her City Administrator staffers to continue the police chief search while the new person at the top gets seated and brought up-to-date? And how about letting the public know that the City Administrator is taking over the Oakland Police Chief search? After all, Jestin Johnson's first attended meeting was Monday, June 6th. Mayor Thao must stop playing her political games of chaos and dysfunction and allow her new City Administrator Jestin Johnson to take his rightful, Oakland City Charter-backed, place as the director of the search for a new Oakland Police Chief. Or, here's an idea: why not just give LeRonne Armstrong his old job back. Since we all still call him the Oakland Police Chief, it's a good idea. Stay tuned.
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AcfWJ3uXJQ
City Administrator Jestin Johnson Responsible For Police Chief Search Not Police Commission In this made-by-TV and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao controversy with the Oakland Police Chief, what we have is Mayor Thao, once again, acting against the Oakland City Charter in the handling of a police-related situation. And once again, the City Administrator's involved. First, it was the firing of popular and effective Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong – done without the presence of the City Administrator. Now, it's Thao pointing fingers at the Oakland Police Commission regarding the selection of a consultant to be used in the process of hiring a new Police Chief – when the Oakland City Charter points to, you guessed it, the City Administrator. Mayor Thao claims that the reason bringing in a replacement for Chief Armstrong has gone so slow is that the Police Commission has not found a consultant. Folks, in Oakland personnel matters I always ask “What does the City Charter say?” I do that for two reasons: first, it's the law of the City of Oakland. Second, in a “strong mayor” era in Oakland, the person at the top had a tendency to violate it. So, let's read the Charter to learn what it says. Here it is: 2.29.020 - Police Department. There is established in the City government a Police Department which shall be under the supervision and administrative control of the City Administrator. The powers, functions and duties of said Department shall be those assigned, authorized and directed by the City Administrator. The management and operation of the Police Department shall be the responsibility of the Chief of Police who shall serve as Director of said Department, subject to the direction of the City Administrator. Note that the City Administrator is mentioned not once, but three times: Basically, the City Administrator controls the administration of the Oakland Police Department, is responsible for powers, functions and duties of it, while the management and operation of the same departnent is in the hands of the Chief of Police as its director, who, in turn is “subject to the direction of the City Administrator.” Got that? So, the question should be why is the City Administrator so slow at finding a new Chief of Police, and not the Oakland Police Commission? My guess is that it's because they have hired a new City Administrator named Jestin Johnson, who hails from Atlanta. But a new man at the helm should not stop the operation of a well-ran city, right? Since the Mayor's in charge, and hires the City Administrator, shouldn't Mayor Thao have allowed or directed her City Administrator staffers to continue the police chief search while the new person at the top gets seated and brought up-to-date? And how about letting the public know that the City Administrator is taking over the Oakland Police Chief search? After all, Jestin Johnson's first attended meeting was Monday, June 6th. Mayor Thao must stop playing her political games of chaos and dysfunction and allow her new City Administrator Jestin Johnson to take his rightful, Oakland City Charter-backed, place as the director of the search for a new Oakland Police Chief. Or, here's an idea: why not just give LeRonne Armstrong his old job back. Since we all still call him the Oakland Police Chief, it's a good idea. Stay tuned.
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AcfWJ3uXJQ
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