Tulsa's new Police Chief is.... Ron Palmer.

[sgrizzle]

Details coming soon

[tulsa_fan]

I think its so great I may just go to the press conference to cheer him on!  

Hey, you might now like Taylor, or agree with her, but she's not stupid.  

I have a feeling she is furious that Bostom ended up being a dud and I bet she doesn't make that mistake again.  

Every officer I've heard from is happy about it.

[Conan71]

Hmmm.  This puts a different wrinkle on it.  (Sorry "Wrinkle").

I guess Palmer was fairly accepted by the rank-and-file.  Just curious what the mood is going to be with Palmer being an at-will employee of the mayor?

What will this do going forward when Ms. Taylor is no longer our mayor and this position passes into the next admin?  Will this result in taking six months to fill this position after every election?

[RecycleMichael]

Here is the Tulsa World breaking news.

Sources: Former Police Chief Ron Palmer to return to top police post By STAFF REPORTS
8/29/2007  10:41 AM

Former Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer will be returned to his old post today, sources familiar with Mayor Kathy Taylor's decision say.

Taylor has announced plans to name a new police chief today at 3:30 p.m., but has not made the name public yet. Palmer did not immediately return phone calls Wednesday. Palmer served as police 1992-2002 and left to become a private security consultant. David Bostrom, a law enforcement consultant from Wilmington, Del., has served as the interim chief since May.

Taylor has come under fire recently by some police for deciding the post will be an at-will post rather than one covered by civil service.A lawsuit by the three rejected internal candidates is still pending in Tulsa County District Court. They maintain Taylor is required by the City Charter to hire one of them.

[tulsa_fan]

I think the six month issue has solely to do with the lawsuit not that the mayor couldn't find a candidate.  She waited a while to see what was going to happen and finally decided to make a decision and deal with the results later.  I think Palmer did a good job, Savage was no friend to the police either.  He stood strong when it mattered and I think he had the trust of most of the rank and file.  He also accomplished a lot.  Degree requirements, computers in cars are just a few.   I hope he will come in and be as fired up about his job now as he was then.  That's a question for me, is he really excited about this or found a way to draw a steady paycheck?  I'm hoping he is ready to get back on the ground running.

Wilbur must be off today, not one comment yet?  

I don't know how the at will issue will play out, but I don't see where it can be stopped.  I believed in broadening the chief search outside the department, but I don't like the at will position, unless it is outside of the department and not as hands on as a chief would be.

[Kiah]

Breaking news?  Where have you snoozers been?  It "broke" here this morning:

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6645&whichpage=6

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa_fan

I think the six month issue has solely to do with the lawsuit not that the mayor couldn't find a candidate.  She waited a while to see what was going to happen and finally decided to make a decision and deal with the results later.  I think Palmer did a good job, Savage was no friend to the police either.  He stood strong when it mattered and I think he had the trust of most of the rank and file.  He also accomplished a lot.  Degree requirements, computers in cars are just a few.   I hope he will come in and be as fired up about his job now as he was then.  That's a question for me, is he really excited about this or found a way to draw a steady paycheck?  I'm hoping he is ready to get back on the ground running.

Wilbur must be off today, not one comment yet?  

I don't know how the at will issue will play out, but I don't see where it can be stopped.  I believed in broadening the chief search outside the department, but I don't like the at will position, unless it is outside of the department and not as hands on as a chief would be.

The whole police chief issue has not been great for her image in my circles considering she made public safety such a huge focal point of her campaign.  Perhaps in her circles, it was a wise move to bring in an outside interim chief as a consultant.  Anyone in the dept. I've quizzed (not just the two who post here) have really been reluctant to say much either way about Bostrom, nor how the search has been handled other than some comments about how crappy Wells was apparently treated.

Having a vacuum in the number one law enforcement position for months then making it a political appointment doesn't really speak well for a campaign promise of public safety being a high priority.

[Wrinkle]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Hmmm.  This puts a different wrinkle on it.  (Sorry "Wrinkle").

I guess Palmer was fairly accepted by the rank-and-file.  Just curious what the mood is going to be with Palmer being an at-will employee of the mayor?

What will this do going forward when Ms. Taylor is no longer our mayor and this position passes into the next admin?  Will this result in taking six months to fill this position after every election?

Wrinkle is not just my middle name.

But, I do question the tactics. As usual, it's not so much what's done, it's the way.

[aoxamaxoa]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by tulsa_fan

I think the six month issue has solely to do with the lawsuit not that the mayor couldn't find a candidate.  She waited a while to see what was going to happen and finally decided to make a decision and deal with the results later.  I think Palmer did a good job, Savage was no friend to the police either.  He stood strong when it mattered and I think he had the trust of most of the rank and file.  He also accomplished a lot.  Degree requirements, computers in cars are just a few.   I hope he will come in and be as fired up about his job now as he was then.  That's a question for me, is he really excited about this or found a way to draw a steady paycheck?  I'm hoping he is ready to get back on the ground running.

Wilbur must be off today, not one comment yet?  

I don't know how the at will issue will play out, but I don't see where it can be stopped.  I believed in broadening the chief search outside the department, but I don't like the at will position, unless it is outside of the department and not as hands on as a chief would be.

The whole police chief issue has not been great for her image in my circles considering she made public safety such a huge focal point of her campaign.  Perhaps in her circles, it was a wise move to bring in an outside interim chief as a consultant.  Anyone in the dept. I've quizzed (not just the two who post here) have really been reluctant to say much either way about Bostrom, nor how the search has been handled other than some comments about how crappy Wells was apparently treated.

Having a vacuum in the number one law enforcement position for months then making it a political appointment doesn't really speak well for a campaign promise of public safety being a high priority.

Good choice Mayor! Way to tell the public who is in charge! Public safety, I am certain, is still her higest priority.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by aoxamaxoa

Good choice Mayor! Way to tell the public who is in charge! Public safety, I am certain, is still her higest priority.

I'll agree with the choice.  However, this position has been in limbo, since LaFortune suspended Been over a year and a half ago.  That's considering that Been came back from suspension with the acknowledgement that he was retiring.  You have a lame duck chief, replaced by an interim chief.  How much does that inspire morale down at the cop shop?

[RecycleMichael]

He is a great choice.

Totally qualified in police duty and familiar with everything Tulsa.

Let's hope that the police rank and file remember and support him. I am interested to read and hear what they say. If it is not completely positive, they will be shooting themselves in the foot.

[tulsa_fan]

I too am hoping the FOP will hold their breath for a while, I can assure you hundreds of officers are THRILLED with the choice and are ready to move forward.  

I watched the press conference and am happy to see him back.

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa_fan

I too am hoping the FOP will hold their breath for a while, I can assure you hundreds of officers are THRILLED with the choice and are ready to move forward.  

I watched the press conference and am happy to see him back.

Palmer is a good choice, he wasn't her first choice or Bill Wells either, for that matter. I am sure the FOP will support Palmer, but if you think this will make the at-will issue will go away, you've got another thing coming. This issue will be Kathy Taylor's Bell's.

[Chicken Little]

Surely the FOP isn't happy about the "at-will" thing.  But how can they turn their back on Palmer?  I'm not saying I think there's subterfuge here.  Actually, I think it's good leadership.

[inteller]

Everyone, meet your new chief....same as the old chief.[}:)]