Keeping in mind that law enforcement data has to be for the most part viewed with real caution as it can be manipulated up or down depending upon what the agenda is. There is media story after story regarding manipulated law enforcement data. Spokane PD of course since 2012 is a prime example of just that!

https://examplepro.me/2015/10/31/boy-is-this-embarrassing/

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/30/candidate-fact-check-has-crime-really-fallen-under/

https://examplepro.me/2016/04/05/a-conversation-with-interim-chief-meidl-and-major-justin-lundgrenpart-three/

 

Most seasoned law enforcement administrators who have been Brass on large departments generally know how to respond to data that makes a department look bad and have a tendency to respond to media inquiries with the good old; “It’s a very complex sociological picture,” as evidenced in these links.

 

http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/95/52/03_2_m.html

http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/2002/06/26/77744-serious-crime-up-12-here/

 

The reality is that legitimate law enforcement data isn’t all that complex, it is however easy for law enforcement administrators to either try and hide the real data or explain it away to politicians and the public who have very limited understanding of the data.

 

https://examplepro.me/2016/09/19/breaking-hssis-this-crazy-or-what/

 

 

Having said that, and given Mayor Condon’s recent budget proposal regarding SPD I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the FBI UCR Data reported by the four candidates for the Spokane Police Chief Job, so you can draw your own conclusions, and perhaps formulate your own questions to submit to the Dog and Pony Show being moderated by Craig Meidl’s Alma mater Gonzaga University’s Comprehensive Leadership Program which is also doing the Culture Audit of SPD. By the way, the conflict of GU’s CLP, Meidl’s relationship to the program, as well as the conflict of GU CLP also doing the Culture Audit has been brought to the attention of the City Council by knowledgeable law enforcement folks, other than myself.

 

Remember that the three outside candidates are coming from small PD’s, and only Lehner has experience in a large PD. SPD is considered a midsized PD.

_____________________

Elk Grove PD: Robert Lehner (133 sworn officers and 82 civilian employees)

 

 

 

Frisco PD: John Bruce (180 sworn officers and 70 non-sworn civilian staff)

 

Yakima PD: Dominic Rizzi (140 officers and a support staff of approximately 40 civilian employees)

 

*** Note that Yakima PD has been reporting their Crime Data utilizing the National Incident Bases Reporting System since 10/1/2011. The NIBR System provides a far better analysis tool than the old Summary Reporting System that both the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office have been trying to figure out for years now. The link below the image allows you to make a relatively easy comparison of Washington State Cities who utilize NIBRS.

 

http://www.waspc.org/assets/CJIS/dashboards/2015%20local%20agency%20dashboard.swf

 

Spokane PD: Craig Meidl (309 Commissioned Officers 90 Civilian Staff)

*** Note that SPD is still using the UCR Summary Reporting System.

 

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/be86ef16-72f8-41d8-b181-6297c100904e

 

I REPORT YOU DECIDE!!!