Richard
Hite has been appointed “interim IMPD Chief” following the resignation of
Paul Ciesielski. Hite retired from the
Baltimore Police Department several years ago, but was hired by Public Safety
Director Frank Straub in 2010 to be one of many new civilian Deputy Public
Safety Directors. IMPD Deputy Chief of
Professional Standards Valerie Cunningham has also been demoted and placed on
paid administrative leave. These moves
by Mayor Ballard and Director Straub come as a result of a perceived
mishandling of evidence in the David Bisard case, specifically “vial #2” of
David Bisard’s blood taken after the fatal crash. Apparently this vile, along with others, was
moved from the main Property Room to the Property Room Annex and stored
improperly. Mayor Ballard said during a
news conference that he has asked the FBI to assist in investigating the
mishandling of evidence.
Just an observation: If Director Straub
is as big a micro-manager as everyone on IMPD says he is, then why are Cunningham,
Ciesielski and some Lieutenant being demoted and/or placed on administrative
leave pending an FBI investigation?
Straub cannot have it both ways; either he is managing and in control of
IMPD or he isn’t. Maybe the Mayor should
have placed Straub on administrative leave and/or Straub should have accepted
responsibility for the mishandling of evidence and resigned. IMPD has seemed to be in complete turmoil
since Straub assumed the reigns over this agency. It’s possible that IMPD has some archaic
policies and practices that need reformed, but Straub exudes the impression
that IMPD is a reckless agency out of control and unwilling to reform to his
liking. I prefer to acknowledge the
obvious; IMPD has had major personnel and morale problems ever since Straub
arrived.
In looking up Rick Hite, it appears he never had a any real police command experience!!! It appears he spent his career in Baltimore complaining about how unfairly black police officers were treated compared to white police officers. Most every reference to Hite has to do with a race issue & how he was given trivial tasks that were all race-based. No mention of leadership, investigation, or real police work....
ReplyDeletei just want to say Bassard is not on "paid" leave like people seem to be saying.Also, This happen back in November. Why is it just now being brought up? Maybe its because the promotional list is about to come out and the minorities on the list scored very low and they need someone like Hite who will go around the top to bottom of the list and promote who he wants. Yes, ther is cooruption and it all starts at the top.
ReplyDeleteI am tired of people saying the police are covering the Bisard crash up. Really?! If the police were going to cover it up don't you think the blood would have come back as a .00 and not .19. Get a clue people.
ReplyDeleteA pretty well planned bloodless coup from the inside. Straub runs it all now. You might want to follow the money though. Seems to be alot of spending going on. And alot of the money is headed back East.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mess. After taking the night and listening to everything put out there, I have to say a few words about this latest development and how we got here.
ReplyDeleteI thought Straub was appointed as an outside choice to clean up the "good ole boy" mentality that had been so previlant in IPDs promotion and hiring practices. Yet Straub has done nothing but replay that record with bringing in 5 of his friends from out of state, and now one of them is the acting chief. Same record, different phonograph! With any luck, the requirements of the law will make that a short lived tenure.
Next we have chief Paul falling on his sword over the mishandling of this second vial of blood. This guy has never been allowed to lead the dept in any way, shape or form since his appointment to the position. Personally, I feel he stepped down because he was tired of the all the bullsh*t and constantly being made the scapegoat each time something went wrong with a dept. that he was placed in a figurehead position over but never allowed to take the reigns.....
Which brings me to my last point, again going back to Frank Straub. Listening to all of his self serving remarks and the number of times he used "my" and "I" in his remarks when referring to everything "He" is accomplishing or trying to accomplish, led me to one conclusion. Frank likes to toot his own horn when things are going well for the dept, or there is someting to be proud of, but lets (makes) others take the fall when something goes wrong. You can't have it both ways Frank!! You're either running this dept., overseeing it's daily operations and therefore responsible, or you're not. Stop playing both sides of the fence and just leave already!!
The fallout continues, and until Mayor marine starts acting like one, it will continue to give this city's law enforcement officers a black eye in the view of the public...despite the outstanding number of good or great officers withing IMPD's ranks.
On the Side of Blue: Your comments are spot on. If you listen to the speech pattern of Straub and Obama they are very similar..."I, I, I, Me, Me, Me,..." They both appear to be very narcissistic. Regarding the fallout: Didn't Straub "call away" several of the high ranking officials who were on scene of the Bisard crash (Pierce, Hicks and Conley)? Straub has never been made to answer for this. Straub is never been accountable for decisions in which he is intimately involved.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Those ranking officers were called away from the crash scene to attend a meeting conviened by Straub to solicite ideas on how to improve his public image. Again with the me, me, me, scenario. Several news agencies reported this, but got no direct answers when they pushed it, and it was swept under the rug.
DeleteTo Mayor Marine:
ReplyDeleteJust how is this "Hopey-changey (Frank Straub D-NY) thing working out for ya?"
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