I just spoke with Commissioner Randy Leonard, to get more detail about his decision to withdraw his name from consideration for the Commissioner-in-Charge of the Police Bureau.
He says the past few months, since Mayor-Elect Adams asked him to prepare an assessment of the Police Bureau, and to consider whether he’d want to run the bureau, have been stressful, given the way Chief Sizer and her supporters (cough*OregonianEditorialBoard*Cough) have acted. Though he’s always up for a challenge, “I was dreading going to work” more recently, he says. “I was having fun until this thing came up.”
He says he told Adams “I just don’t want to do it, I don’t want to put myself through this anymore…. I wasn’t making a snap decision, [my wife] Julie and I talked about it quite a bit.”
He says Adams was upset about Leonard’s announcement, but understood once he heard details about the “ongoing drama with no seeming end” that was happening behind the scenes (like chatter about Leonard’s family, and–this is something the Mercury experienced–mud-slinging “tips” about Leonard that weren’t newsworthy, unless you consider it news that some cops didn’t want Leonard to head up the bureau). “Who could have ever imagined that Rosie Sizer would have gone out and done this stuff?” Leonard says.
The drama wasn’t just affecting him: “[It was] putting a lot of stress on the bureau, on the rank and file in the bureau.” And January should be “about this new exciting guy being the mayor,” Leonard says, not about police bureau drama.
The thing is, what’s most exciting about Adams as mayor is the goals he wants to tackle, like the abysmal high school graduation rate, and planning for Portland’s growth. The whole point of his considering Leonard was to free up his own time to focus on those issue. But will Adams now head up the police bureau–the Oregonian editorial board, after all, maintains that this is a Tradition That Must Not Be Broken–and get distracted from those goals?
Leonard says he’d be “disappointed” if Adams loses sight of why he was looking for another Police Commissioner in the first place. “I would urge him to consider appointing it to one of the other commissioners.”
I, for one, would urge Adams to consider giving it to Leonard. You’re going to be the mayor, Sam. Tell the Police Chief to grow up, and learn to work with her boss–the boss you appoint.
Amy – do you speak with your peer Matt Davis much? I think he can give you insight on hoe Ranty Randy operates.
Mr. Leonard is a bully.
We realize & experience his controversial history/decisions here in Portland
His “Project 57” plan is under scrutiny – yet he cannot give a straight answer on it, yet touts it every chance he gets. Matt has done sojme great articles on it – have you read them?
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Bl…
http://www.portlandmercury.com/gyrobase/le…
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2008/0…
His own water bureau is facing major federal mandates that he is not dealing with
and there are current issues & controversy within the Bureau he oversees – the Water Bureau. http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.…
Come this spring time his he going to push the Police Bureau to enforce his “duct tape free zone”. Great use of Police time, Randy!
Baseball Team in Lents – another “big idea” Randy is pushing for – why? Considering the $$$ spent & ROI on PGE park.
Mr. Leonard should please spend his focus on this most pressing issues in his own Bureau.
Both former Mayors Vera Katz & Bud Clark urged Sam to keep the police bureau under him. I’m glad Randy “bowed out”. All great Cities have a strong police force backed up by the Mayor, Seattle, San Francisco, NY. I recently attended the GO Green Pdx seminar and it was great to hear Sam Adams’ vision for Portland and “being Green” but Safety needs to come first – you can extend the Max lines to encourage mass transit but no one is going to ride if they feel unsafe, you can encourage “20 Min walking neighboroods” – but the streets need to be rid of crime to allow that to happen.
Safety & Livability should be at the heart of Sam Adams upcoming appointment. Many in my community are glad that Randy is not to be given this monumental task and that Sam will & should be an advocate & a great partner to Chief Sizer.
Thank you.
You don’t think the fine members of the Portland Police Union, those upstanding civil servants, have anything to do with this, do you?
Portland’s police officers would never resort to threats and low-level intimidation, would they?
You don’t think Randy asked around and discovered that maybe there’s just a wee bit of corruption in the department, that maybe Portland’s police officers are still running rackets and the like?
You don’t think the Police Union has more influence in the city than, say, a lowly commissioner?
You don’t think the police union might have been a bit offended at the bureau possibly being led by the former head of the Firefighters union, do you? After all, don’t they all have the best interests of the citizens in mind?
You don’t think that Portland cops would be harassing Randy and his family, do you?
No, nothing like that would ever happen in Portland, would it….?
I have the impression that Chief Sizer is well-liked and respected at the City, in the PPB, and by the public at large. Under her leadership there have been no incidents like James Chasse or Kendra James. It seems to me that she’s doing a good job in a difficult assignment, and if she were to be forced to resign, that newfound stability would be threatened. I don’t know who should head up the Police bureau assignment, but I don’t think the city’s best interest would have been served by destabilizing what seems to be the best PPB leadership I can remember.
For clarification, James Chasse died on September 17 2006, when Rosie Sizer was acting chief of police. I’m working on a documentary about Chasse’s life and death, more information can be found at alienboy.org.
Who is doing the supposed “destabilizing” here? Is it the commissioner who is doing his job in overseeing the bureau, or the bureau head who refuses to do her job in working with the commissioner?
Who is doing the supposed “destabilizing” here? Is it the commissioner who is doing his job in overseeing the bureau, or the bureau head who refuses to do her job in working with the commissioner? I’m with Amy — Sam shouldn’t kowtow to Rosie just because she doesn’t like Randy.
For clarification: This reporter has never been given any information about Leonard’s family by any member of the Police Bureau.