The View From Prospect Hill

   

Kudos to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone for opening the process of selecting the next chief of police to the public. And a tip of the hat to Robert R. Bradley, Ruben Galindo and Anthony Holloway for meeting with the community and responding to their questions and concerns.

If community members do not agree with Curtatone’s selection, they will be armed with plenty of information and knowledge of the process and the candidates involved.

When the  job of chief of the Somerville Police Department was taken out of civil service, many thought the person in that position would become nothing more than the mayor’s lackey, a yes man without ideas of his own. The mayor and police chief should run for office as running mates and appear on the ballot together, said Jack Leutcher, president of the Patrolmen’s Union. The job will become so politicized, he said, we mine as well be honest about it.

Well, the time has not yet come to see if the police chief can be independent of the mayor or even disagree with him. But one thing is for sure, the process of finding a new chief has not been a bag job.

Boston’s recent search for a superintendent of schools smacked of secrecy and closed door meetings. Refreshingly, there has been none of that here. We are fully aware of the final candidates for the job and the process that brought them here.

If one has a gripe on Curtatone’s selection for the city’s next top cop, they won’t be able to knock the process. The News has pointed out a number of times that Curtatone stated on the record last year that he would choose Bradley for the job. If he decides to stick with the only local guy in the running, it won’t be because he already had a chief in mind. It will be a result of a clean, open process that brought the best candidate to Somerville. 

Comments

[I]

You must believe in fairies, Santa Claus, unicorns and all things that go bump in the night. Bradley the best man for the job GOD help us! "JOEY CAKES and CLEAN GENIE" make my son-in-law deputy chief, don't even look at my cousins misdeeds O.K. you are the best PERSON in the whole U.S.A for being my puppet.

[JMD]

This column is a perfect example of sarcasm.

[I]

P.S. I almost forgot no D.U.I. tickets to you know who?

[I]

P.S. I almost forgot no D.U.I. tickets to you know who?

[brickbottom]

"If he decides to stick with the only local guy in the running, it won’t be because he already had a chief in mind. It will be a result of a clean, open process that brought the best candidate to Somerville."

Yeah, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

I know you support Curtatone, but this "puff piece" goes beyond the absurd. If this column wasn't meant to be a joke then this blog has been taken over by city hall gremlins!

I would love to get information regarding the candidates that were "weeded" out by the "esteemed" collection of arse kissers ( except the policewomen ) that the Mayor handpicked to make the all important decision to present the "best qualified" candidates for the Mayor to choose from.

Too bad that the two highly qualified Officers from Florida were put through this charade so Joe could pick his personal valet. What a waste of their time and taxpayers money!

Please, please don't take us as fools!

[Manna from Heaven]

brickbottom,
I like Bradley and I wouldn't mind seeing him get the job, but this editorial and this process reminds me of the old line: "Don't piss on my back and tell me it's raining."

Please News, read your own article! You wrote, "The News has pointed out a number of times that Curtatone stated on the record last year that he would choose Bradley for the job. If he decides to stick with the only local guy in the running, it won’t be because he already had a chief in mind. It will be a result of a clean, open process that brought the best candidate to Somerville."

HELLO... "The News has pointed out a number of times that Curtatone stated on the record last year that he would choose Bradley for the job." HE SAID HE WOULD PICK BRADLEY!

"[I]t won’t be because he already had a chief in mind." AAHHH, YES IT WILL. He said he was going to pick Bradley!

There was no qualifying statements there! Your own article points out that he said he was going to pick Bradley a year ago!

If your going to pick someone, fine. Don't waste everyone's time and question our intelligence by saying it was "a result of a clean, open process that brought the best candidate to Somerville" and that we "won’t be able to knock the process."

If you want Bradley that's great. Don't waste time and money by leaving the the Police Department and the citizens swaying in the wind for an extra year.

Whoever gets picked, I can only say Good Luck... You're going to need it to run this joint.

[Dicky Bird]

Well the only thing good about this is that we will get a "GOOD COP" back.
Joey Cakes better have some one drive him if he comes down here to the sun.
I guess that he will give Clean Genie what he wants to. Remember Genie how you used to hate the Hog but I think you now like pork as well?

[Fool on the Hill]

From its first days, the Curtatone administration has conducted a series of theater productions whenever they wanted to do something that was questionable or unpopular. From ramming through the Assembly Square rezoning that the Court later struck down, right up to this particular "clean, open process," the pattern has been the same.

They create a "forum" for participation. People from all sides of an issue are allowed to speak. Then, they do what they always intended to do, while pointing to their "clean, open process."

The real, verifiable evidence presented in a "forum" is almost always against the position that the administration takes. But none of our local journalists has the will or the capacity to understand, summarize, and report on this evidence.

The puppet masters also find subtle ways to exclude certain bits of evidence. A classic example was asking the "public" to submit questions for the chief candidates, many of which never again saw the light of day. Wouldn't the answers from these questions be important to learn from Bob Bradley?

•If the city had not settled the Tim Doherty lawsuit two days before the trial, what would the court have learned about your behavior in sworn testimony? How much did the city have to pay to keep this quiet?

•You were the liaison between the city and the contractor when the Public Safety building was built. Can you tell us anything that would help explain its high rate of illness? Do you even acknowledge the high rate of illness?

•How long to intend to punish Joe McCain for speaking his own conscience?

•Since you joined the force, how many women have you kept company with while on the clock?

And so on. Feel free to add you own questions.

As I read over this editorial, it seems hard to believe that someone with George Hassett's intelligence and integrity wrote it. Maybe I'm wrong. But if not, then please let us know who did write it.

[the real brickbottom]

Fool on the Hill,

Excellent post. If anyone knows that Bradley is an incompetent fool it is I.

The Tim Doherty situation was so revolting that Bradley should hang his head in shame on a daily basis. Poor Tim, an honest cop, totally destroyed by Bradley and his minions.

The building is a joke and he knows it. But as the ultimate bootlicker he will remain silent.

Anyone speaking their own conscience will be banished to Siberia. The truth hurts and he totally hates the truth when it involves him.

As for the other item that you mentioned I won't even go there.

What about:

Trafficgate

Deskgate

Commercialgate

Trying to run over his own officers at a picketline.

This little guy should put on his Georgie Washington uniform and take his horsie and ride into the sunset for the betterment of this city.

[Milsson]

Although I am a lifelong resident, I am not privy to the goings on at the Police Department. From all I have read and heard there are obviously big problems with morale. Having watched the Police Chief interviews Galindo stood out as a candidate who if selected would have the best chance of bringing the Police Department together and focus on the things that need to be dealt with in Somerville. I see no reason to make Bradley the permanent Chief, he clearly is on an ego trip and doesn't plan to stay long.
After this so-called "open process" it would be manifestly disengenuous for the Mayor not select the best candidate, who in my opinion is Galindo. It will be interesting to see if Curtatone will forsake political interests for the good of the public safety.

[it *is* funny]

if you feel strongly about it, send a letter/email/call to the Mayor's office. He appears to be listening.

[Testing testing.....]

Is Curtatone listening?...