Is Tulsa's Next Police Chief....

[RecycleMichael]

Temporary police chief is named

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer 5/19/2007

David Bostrom will take over the interim chief post at least until a lawsuit by internal candidates is settled, the mayor says.

A Wilmington, Del., man with a 35-year career in law enforcement was named Tulsa's interim police chief Friday by Mayor Kathy Taylor. David Bostrom, 57, is not a candidate to be the permanent chief, both he and Taylor said during a news conference.

"David is coming to us with the best of credentials and extensive experience in cities faced with crime rates similar to Tulsa's," Taylor said. "I know he is up to the challenges facing our city."

Bostrom works as an independent consultant and once served as the public safety director in Wilmington and spent 23 years in the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., rising through the ranks from officer to commander. "I'm proud to be here in Tulsa to lead the Police Department, which has a national reputation as being well-trained and well-equipped," he said, adding that he's visited Tulsa about five times before. "My time in Tulsa will undoubtedly be short, but I want to focus on key issues facing the city and the Police Department, particularly those issues that impact violence in parts of Tulsa."

Taylor said she does not know exactly how long Bostrom will be in the position but that it will be at least until a lawsuit by the three rejected internal candidates is resolved. "I really felt it was important to bring in an interim chief to help the city move forward," she said. "I didn't think it was fair or appropriate to leave someone internal in the position because of the pending litigation."

Police Chief Dave Been's retirement went into effect May 1. Deputy Chief Mark McCrory has been serving as acting chief. The Civil Service Commission last week ruled that Taylor has the authority to look outside the Police Department for the next chief, even though three internal candidates were certified as being qualified.

The lawsuit by Deputy Chief Bill Wells, Maj. Rob Turner and Maj. Paul Williams is set to be heard by Tulsa County District Judge Michael Gassett. Bostrom, who will be paid the same $132,000 salary that Been earned, was on the job Friday morning, meeting with the Police Department's leadership and city administrators. "I share the mayor's view that there's a critically important relationship between public safety, education and economic development," he said. Bostrom said he wants to engage the local community.

"What will have a dramatic impact on crime is if police and the citizens of Tulsa work together," he said. "I am particularly interested in reducing murders during the course of the summer." Taylor said Bostrom should be able to make a big difference in a short time. "David has expertise in community policing and diversity training, and I believe he brings a lot of new ideas that will help us grow," she said.

Taylor said she found Bostrom by networking through the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Executive Research Forum and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "I wanted someone who met all of the criteria to be the permanent chief but who only wanted the job on a temporary basis, and I am fortunate David agreed to the challenge," she said. Bostrom pledged to be a full-time police chief, even though his wife, Patricia Quann, will remain in Wilmington. "She's promised to come visit me often," he said.

Darin Filak, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93, called Bostrom "a nice guy with impeccable credentials." "We're going to do our jobs and follow the directions he gives us," said Filak, who supports the legal challenge by the three internal candidates.

City Councilor Jack Henderson praised Bostrom's willingness to work closely with the black community and said he thinks an outside view will be good for the department. "Someone without any ties to anyone and who just wants to do a good job is what's best for Tulsa right now," he said. "We're dealing with a serious crime problem. We need to set aside everything else and focus on getting something done."

[TulsaSooner]

quote:Originally posted by meeciteewurkor

If they choose to pursue action, I guarantee you that they will win if they fight it to the bitter end.

How many times does this have to be shot down before some people start to believe it?  I know of at least twice now that requiring the City to hire internally has been challenged and twice now it has been shot down.  Do you believe that if the cops' attorneys felt they had a chance they wouldn't be in court right now?  I guess they just let it go out of the goodness of their heart?

[meeciteewurkor]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaSooner

quote:Originally posted by meeciteewurkor

If they choose to pursue action, I guarantee you that they will win if they fight it to the bitter end.

How many times does this have to be shot down before some people start to believe it?  I know of at least twice now that requiring the City to hire internally has been challenged and twice now it has been shot down.  Do you believe that if the cops' attorneys felt they had a chance they wouldn't be in court right now?  I guess they just let it go out of the goodness of their heart?

Yes, but how many times has it not been shot down?  I can think of at least three instances, each time it cost the city large chunks of change.
Check out section 106 of the City's Policies and procedures here.
I'm pretty sure that doc is up to date.  It states very specifically how to deal with vacancies.
If the HR director cannot find certified candidates (which they did), then they can approach the department with the vacancy, and submit a proposal to the Civil Service commission to modify criteria or qualifications to meet the essential functions of the job.
However the HR director can also defer to the "appointing authority" to fill the vacancy.
Is the mayor an "appointing authority" for the Police chief?

I also find it curious that our HR director was recently on the receiving end of a retiring hatchet from the mayor.  Coincidence?

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.  This is simply the way I'm seeing this.

[Conan71]

Can anyone point me to the section of the City Charter which says the Mayor's office is a monarchy?

[Breadburner]

Did anyone find the donor list for the Tulsa Police Foundation......

[MH2010]

The only person I know that donated to it was the millionaire mayor.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

The only person I know that donated to it was the millionaire billionaire mayor queen.

[tulsa_fan]

Jeff Stava heads the foundation up (according to the news).  He is EXTREMELY pro police and has several police friends.  There are people who actually think the FOP's stance on the charter is incorrect, so the leap from the foundation paid for a search to making that anti-police is a bit of a stretch.  Charter issue aside, there are a large number of officers who agree with the Mayor going outside the department for a chief.  If the courts say she can't go outside the department, then she won't.  

Back to topic (sorta) one thing that has really bothered me about this guy is he has yet (that I have seen) talked about working with the police department.  It appears his entire purpose is to work with the community.  It would have been nice to hear him say a little bit more about how he'd like to hear what the department has been doing and what is working and what is not.  He's making it sound like only the community has the answers to solving the violence problems.  At least the Mayor did say the police has been working hard with the neighborhoods (in her press conference, if you watched it all) and thanked McCrory for his committment to that.  It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.  In the end, we should all want what's best for the city.

[Wilbur]

quote: Back to topic (sorta) one thing that has really bothered me about this guy is he has yet (that I have seen) talked about working with the police department. It appears his entire purpose is to work with the community. It would have been nice to hear him say a little bit more about how he'd like to hear what the department has been doing and what is working and what is not. He's making it sound like only the community has the answers to solving the violence problems. At least the Mayor did say the police has been working hard with the neighborhoods (in her press conference, if you watched it all) and thanked McCrory for his committment to that. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. In the end, we should all want what's best for the city.

How much buy-in can the guy have?  He has never lived in this town and has no intentions of living here.  Tulsa doesn't need some generalized form of community based policing.  We need Tulsa based policing.  In other words, what works in Washington DC isn't necessarily going to work in Tulsa or Miami or Denver.  Each community is unique and requires a unique form of policing.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur
In other words, what works in Washington DC isn't necessarily going to work in Tulsa or Miami or Denver.  Each community is unique and requires a unique form of policing.

Pretty much been my point all along that it would have been best to pick one of the three qualified and certified candidates from within the department.

[RecycleMichael]

I am not surprised to read Wilbur's comments.

Why don't you try to give the guy a chance? Why do you act like you are the only ones who know how to fight crime?

This guy has great credentials as is willing to come here and try to make a difference, even knowing that it is as a temp. He is walking into a dysfunctional department that has replaced all the top deputies every year and are on record as being split.

I hope that the majority of police officers aren't as close-minded as you.

[Breadburner]

They can start with a troop surge in North Tulsa.....

[Rico]

^

Best draw the map for future crime slightly different........

If and when Wal Mart, regardless of it's exterior appearance, opens it will make a fine 24 hour Transfund/Snack Shop/Beer Run/Car Lot, etc........

Made only better when the Arena holds concerts..........Then they have a double up sale.

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

I am not surprised to read Wilbur's comments.

Why don't you try to give the guy a chance? Why do you act like you are the only ones who know how to fight crime?

This guy has great credentials as is willing to come here and try to make a difference, even knowing that it is as a temp. He is walking into a dysfunctional department that has replaced all the top deputies every year and are on record as being split.

I hope that the majority of police officers aren't as close-minded as you.

I'm all for giving the guy a chance, but initially he is going to be judged on his previous record.  He is a Drew Diamond look-a-like, and, if you've checked Google, has put on seminars with Drew.  Looking back at Drew's record, Tulsa had historically record crimes rates, and since Drew has left, we have had historically low record crimes rates.  Do we really want to go back to Drew's crime rates?  Not me!

And since you seem to be the all-knowing about the inner workings of the department, just what are the things that are so 'dysfunctional department that has replaced all the top deputies every year'?

Let me see, Deputy Chief Wells has been there how many years?  Deputy Chief Andrus has been there how many years?  And Deputy Chief McCrory was promoted after Deputy Chief Busby retired after how many years?  35+?  Yea, everybody turns over constantly.  Major city police chiefs, of which Tulsa is considered a major city, last less then 36 months.  Tulsa is way ahead of the curve.

Your anti-police bias is coming out again, and it's based on no first hand knowledge!  Any other false rumors you care to share?

[RecycleMichael]

I am surprised that you can't remember Wilbur...or maybe it is just selective memory.

Been replaced most of his top management team after the Swat team report came out.

When Been was put on probation in 2006, his replacement, Chief Wells (one of the applicants for the new chief job) reassigned two deputy chiefs and five majors.

When Been was reinstated, they shuffled up the management again. Now in 2007 we have more changes.

Why don't we read the report again that states the turmoil...it is still on KOTV website...pay attention to page 8 where it says that the top management of the department hate each other.

http://www.kotv.com/files/mayor-tpd-davebeen-report.pdf

Go ahead and act like nothing is wrong...you are like Nero with his fiddle while Rome burns.

The only way that this police department will ever get back to working together as a team instead of the Hatfields and McCoys is to bring in an unbiased outsider with nothing to lose or gain. Enter David Bostrom.

Thank you, Mayor Taylor, for doing the right thing.