Rick Dean
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http://amren.com/news/news04/05/14/dallaschief.html
AP, AIM Today, May 10
DALLAS (AP)After a nationwide search, the city ended up picking a homegrown candidate Monday to be the next police chief, filling a post that had been vacant since the top cop was fired nine months ago for poor job performance.
David Kunkle, 53, was a former captain in Dallas who later served 17 years as police chief in the nearby communities of Grand Prairie and Arlington.
" look forward to returning the department to an organization all the citizens of Dallas can be proud of and support,'' Kunkle said. A de
artment that not only reflects the community it serves but one that contributes significantly to the city's quality of life.''
The city has been without a police chief since August, when Terrell Bolt
on
as fired after a tenure marred by questi
onable hiring practices and problems battling one of the highest per capita crime rates in the nation.
As police chief in Arlington, Kunkle was credited with raising the department's standards while improving racial diversity and resident involvement.
The Dallas Police Department, regarded as one of the nation's most progressive law-enforcement agencies a generation ago, has struggled to restore its reputation after complaints about leadership and limited resources put a harsh spotlight on the 3,000-member force.
Bolton, the city's first black police chief, stunned the department in 1999 by replacing the predominantly white command staff with one that was predominantly minority, sparking allegations that he promoted loyalty over performance.
In internal reviews, officers also complained of staffing shortages, poor training and unreliable vehicles.
Adding to the department's woes was a two-year investigation by the FBI and
the
Justice D
epartment into allegations that dozens of
Mexican immigrants were wrongly jailed after police informants planted fake cocaine on them.
Unrelated to the drug scandal, nearly a dozen officers were fired last year for having criminal records and violating department policies.
http://amren.com/news/news04/05/14/dallaschief.html
AP, AIM Today, May 10
DALLAS (AP)After a nationwide search, the city ended up picking a homegrown candidate Monday to be the next police chief, filling a post that had been vacant since the top cop was fired nine months ago for poor job performance.
David Kunkle, 53, was a former captain in Dallas who later served 17 years as police chief in the nearby communities of Grand Prairie and Arlington.
" look forward to returning the department to an organization all the citizens of Dallas can be proud of and support,'' Kunkle said. A de
artment that not only reflects the community it serves but one that contributes significantly to the city's quality of life.''
The city has been without a police chief since August, when Terrell Bolt
on
as fired after a tenure marred by questi
onable hiring practices and problems battling one of the highest per capita crime rates in the nation.
As police chief in Arlington, Kunkle was credited with raising the department's standards while improving racial diversity and resident involvement.
The Dallas Police Department, regarded as one of the nation's most progressive law-enforcement agencies a generation ago, has struggled to restore its reputation after complaints about leadership and limited resources put a harsh spotlight on the 3,000-member force.
Bolton, the city's first black police chief, stunned the department in 1999 by replacing the predominantly white command staff with one that was predominantly minority, sparking allegations that he promoted loyalty over performance.
In internal reviews, officers also complained of staffing shortages, poor training and unreliable vehicles.
Adding to the department's woes was a two-year investigation by the FBI and
the
Justice D
epartment into allegations that dozens of
Mexican immigrants were wrongly jailed after police informants planted fake cocaine on them.
Unrelated to the drug scandal, nearly a dozen officers were fired last year for having criminal records and violating department policies.