This is part two in a series covering the now infamous Furniture-gate Case. Part One can be found here:
Day Two of Furniture-gate, December 18th, 2015, begins to demonstrate exactly why SPD is in an even worse downward slide since 2012. The self-serving, cowardice, fear of demotion, want to be somebody attitude of Police Leadership again gets in the way of what is right and best. Has it always been that way? HELL NO it hasn’t and I could cite case after case where it wasn’t.
December 18th, 2015, at 10:10 AM, the day begins with ED LUKAS pushing the “I da Boss!” authority he thought he received from Big Momma the previous day. You might notice that Lukas continues the horse stuff that the furniture at the Intermodal was “new”, “purchased”, “designed specifically for the space”, and even “customized “. That is twice.
How can you tell this is one of those “I da Boss!” emails? It is really easy, and I’ve seen hundreds of these in email, memoranda, and report format. The first thing you look for is who the email is directed to and that will tell you exactly who the sender thinks he/she needs to show that “I da Boss!”. In this case ED LUKAS had to directly show two people, Meidl and Arleth, that “I da Boss!”. The CCs almost always demonstrated, as they do in this case, who the sender wants to make sure know that the message was delivered that “I da Boss!”. In this case Knight, Sanders, Dobrow, and Martinez, Judy Knight because he is her Boss and she should remember that, Sanders so that she knows the message was delivered to the cops that she anointed Lukas as “da Boss”, Dobrow so he understands that the person Dobrow delegated the authority to at SPD, Meidl, now works for him on this and not Dobrow, Martinez because she is coordinating the move and is SPD’s “Buyer” so heaven forbid if she figures out that the furniture wasn’t purchased, isn’t new, wasn’t designed for the space, if she does hopefully she will keep her mouth shut if she knows “I da Boss!”
ATTENTION ALL COPS!!!
I use to love finding “I da Boss!” stuff like this in cases because it directly attaches accountability for when things go to crap like this did. Lukas clearly establishes in the above email that this mess is HIS BABY and NO ONE else’s (Lukas of course was never interviewed in the IA Investigation…WHY?)
Here is some advice for you cops when you get one of those “I da Boss!” documents, and especially when it is from outside the Department.
1) Always, and I mean always, respond DIRECTLY to the communication and include your Supervisor in the communication.
2) Keep your own record of the communication.
3) Always, and I mean always, put the outside individual IN THEIR PLACE (I can’t emphasis this enough)!
4) If you receive a response from “I da Boss” DO NOT RESPOND simply forward your documentation of his response to your Supervisor.
This would have been the proper response to the Lukas email:
“Mr Lukas thank you for the email directed to me and Assistant Chief Meidl establishing Assets Management’s position and role in the move from the Peyton Building to the Intermodal. Although I appreciate the heads up, so to speak, and realizing you are new to your position with the City I would be remiss in not pointing out that as members of the Spokane Police Department we are required to work through and take orders directly from our own Chain of Command, in this case my direct supervisor as you know is Assistant Chief Meidl, so I will be taking my orders and direction regarding the move directly from him, and I feel it would be in everyone’s best interest that you deal directly with Assistant Chief Meidl or Chief Dobrow regarding the move they intern will provide me clear orders and direction, hopefully eliminating the possibility of confusion or misunderstanding.”
For you Cops that just read that and are thinking… “Holy Shit Breen…we can’t do stuff like that!” … My answer to you is… “The Hell you can’t and it is about time we as Citizens see a lot more of it!”
1) Everything in that response is true.
2) It protects you from being a scapegoat, as is the case here.
3) It forces compliance with the Chain of Command.
4) It puts the onus on your Supervisors to do THEIR JOB.
5) No Supervisor in their right mind, whether they liked it or not, would come after you as long as it is true and well documented (They never did create a single position for a graveyard Detective like they would have liked to have done…keep that in mind!) 🙂
December 18, 2015 at 3:47 PM, after what was probably a morning of interesting conversations at City Hall (Which were never followed-up on) JUDY KNIGHT sends out the “I da Little Boss!” message to Meidl and Arleth. She also CCs Sanders, Dobrow, and Martinez to let them know ED LUKAS earlier in the morning told everybody “I da Boss!” now you need to know “I da Little Boss!” and make sure Big Momma knows the Cops got the word.
You might want to pay special attention to this statement from “da Little Boss” just for future reference in this series of stories.
“Once again, please make sure you mark up the furniture that you will be taking to the Intermodal Precinct, so that the movers will know which ones to deliver to that sight.”
ATTENTION ALL COPS!!!
When you get the inevitable “I da Little Boss!” communication the process is quite simple (See Above).
Forward the email you already sent to “I da Boss!” to “I da Little Boss”. You have some choices as far as this is concerned but they are limited to two.
1) Include a notation to “I da Little Boss” something like this “I have to follow SPD Policy and Procedure, I’m here to help and I will once I get some direction.”
2) Use the Breen not so nice method and don’t respond just forward it to your real Boss.
Well that is it for Part Two…but stay tuned for Part Three where the real “The self-serving, cowardice, fear of demotion, want to be somebody attitude of Police Leadership again gets in the way of what is right and best.” shows up plain as day!
I REPORT YOU DECIDE!!!!
Buffalo Brian Breen 
What a crock…
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I think Mr. Lukas should forego the $13,000 the taxpayers spent for Arleth’s paid leave. This whole thing is ridiculous from beginning to end. These emails truly show the level of maturity. honesty, professionalism, and sense of priorities inside city hall at multiple levels.
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