DallasArena.com is still strong for the Chief. Political constraints are as real as a bullet hole.

10/28/04  Dallas PD: Under New Leadership Management

       Dallas Police Officers have been watching their new Police Chief, David Kunkle. Will Chief Kunkle lead the department in a bold new direction, to an exciting future, or will it be a walk down memory lane? It's been nearly five months since Chief Kunkle took office and for many officers, the honeymoon is over. Some officers want to skip marriage counseling and move straight to a divorce.

Dallas Police Officers have suffered from low morale for years. Fueled by a leadership vacuum, poor equipment, low pay, disappearing benefits and understaffing, morale has been sinking since the 1990's. The Mayor and City Council add to the morale problem by not supporting officers on key issues, such as the 40-hour work week, CNG patrol cars and pay for on-duty injuries. High crime only adds to officers' sense of helplessness and frustration.

So it was with a sense of relief and hopefulness that officers greeted the arrival of Chief Kunkle.  For the first time in a long time, officers felt help was on the way.  Five months later, Dallas Police Officers are still waiting.

Strike One

Chief Kunkle has alienated officers with a total lack of public support. Chief Kunkle placed 7 officers from the Southwest Patrol Division on restrictive duty after an over-weight suspect, with poor health and multiple illicit drugs in his system, died after a brief struggle. The Southwest Seven stayed on restrictive duty for 10 weeks, while the Grand Jury process dragged slowly forward. The 7 officers lost between $3000.00 and $4500.00 in income from lost overtime and extra-jobs. From the very beginning of the investigation, there was no evidence of wrong doing.  All 7 were no billed by a Grand Jury in late September.

Chief Kunkle has never publicly stated that he believed the officers did nothing wrong. Shortly after placing the officers on restrictive duty Chief Kunkle wrote a memo to the Department in which he apologized for the treatment of the officers. However, the Chief has never spoken with the seven officers. That is a major insult to the seven officers, who merely wanted an explanation from the Department's leader and maybe an apology in person.

In September, a police chase ended when the suspect ran a red light and caused a fatal wreck in which 2 innocent citizens lost their lives. The officers involved feel sincere sorrow for the loss of life. The fact that a police chase ended with the death of 2 innocent bystanders brought out a string of critics. The officers chased the vehicle for less than a minute. They had no opportunity to call off the chase or deploy stop-sticks. The officers followed policy and did nothing wrong.  A Lieutenant, not the Chief, spoke to the media about the unfortunate results of a properly executed chase. As has been the complaint for several years, the demonstration of leadership came from a front line supervisor and not from someone with stars on their collar.

In September, a suicidal man pointed a gun at officers at a Northwest Dallas motel. Officers had been trying to sooth the man when he drew a pistol from his waistband. An officer shot and killed the man. An officer doing his job, trying to protect himself and those around him, is under fire over the actions of a disturbed individual. Where is the Chief? At least Chief Bolton had the decency to leave town so he had a valid excuse for not speaking with the press in support of officers.

         During a recent City Council meeting, a critical report was issued regarding the infamous Fake Drug Scandal. Chief Kunkle stood before the Council as they ranted and raved about the ailing Dallas Police Department. The Council members loudly wondered if all divisions of the department are run this poorly. Chief Kunkle stood mute. He offered no assurances and made no statements concerning one of the most professional departments in the country. His silence fed the Council's fears and confirmed the public's mistrust.

Chief Kunkle has made several trips to each of the Patrol Divisions in an effort to smooth things over with his troops. On a recent trip to the Southwest Patrol Division Chief Kunkle was asked why he has failed to offer public support to officers during recent critical incidents. Chief Kunkle's reply was telling about the future of the department and any chance of raising morale. The Chief told the entire detail he could never publicly back officers accused of wrong-doing, even when he knows they are innocent. He went on to explain that by backing officers on the hot seat he jeopardizes the community's perception that the Dallas Police Department can police itself.

In essence, the Chief believes that his silence is a preemptive strike against the Conspiracy Theorists and Cover-up Detectives. In reality, Chief Kunkle is fueling the very fires he seeks to control. One need only read the Dallas Morning News to find his silence is viewed as a scarlet letter on the chest of every accused officer.

Thursday, August 12, 2004 DMN

He [Officer Darryl Gary] is one of several officers either placed on administrative leave, restrictive desk duty or fired by new department chief David Kunkle, who has promised to take a strong stance on officers involved in misconduct.

Chief Kunkle's silence has allowed the only newspaper in town to lump together an officer accused of holding a gun to his own daughter's head with good officers doing their jobs.  

Strike Two

The Chief has a tough job. He's facing a department with a sagging reputation and public suspicion. So in July, the Chief asked for the IAD jackets of the officers with the most complaints. That's complaints, not disciplinary action. The Chief's list of "bad apples," as the Dallas Morning News called them, was merely a list of officers that have been complained on for doing their jobs, not disciplined for wrong doing.

Saturday, July 17, 2004 DMN / KDFI-TV

In an effort to weed out bad apples, new Dallas chief of police David Kunkle requested a list of officers with the highest number of internal affairs complaints. "Really, I just wanted to see if there are officers out there that I don't feel comfortable working on the streets carrying guns and wearing badges," he said.

Chief Kunkle said he will review all officers' files and determine if they should be stripped of their guns and badges. "What we would do is put them in desk jobs and take their guns and arrest authority from them," he said.

Top commanders told News 8 that an officer's disciplinary history is often an indicator of officers who will became major problems for the department and in the community.

Has our Chief of Police never heard of due process or double jeopardy? These officers were investigated fully and punished where violations were found. Many of the officers on the list have between 15 and 20 complaints. Of course, those complaints were compiled over the officers' 20 to 25 year careers. Interspersed amidst these complaints are dozens of commendations and awards. Watch out for those bad apples, Chief!

The complaint process in Dallas has been used and abused by criminals for many years now. The criminal element knows the best method for retaliation against an officer is to file a complaint. Been caught with guns and cocaine? Complain that the officer was rude. Did you fight the police and lost? Complain that officers used excessive force. IAD has been under a mandate to find a sustainable charge against every accused officer. IAD has carried out this unwritten policy with great enthusiasm and success. Officers have done outstanding jobs, only to be hammered with discipline for not checking a box, indicating their vehicle was clean at the beginning of the shift two days prior to the incident in question.

It's not all bad.
 

Chief Kunkle has done a few things to help moral. Just recently, Chief Kunkle removed CNG cars from patrol functions. Patrol officers can breathe a collective sigh of relief.  These vehicles should never have been used in patrol. Unfortunately, an officer had to be seriously injured before the right decision could be made.

Chief Kunkle has also promoted Senior Corporals, Sergeants and Lieutenants. This was a desperately needed, long overdue step towards better morale. Just when you think a pattern is taking shape, other plans emerge on the horizon that make you stop and wonder.

Chief Kunkle is toying with the idea of 12-hour shifts.  After all, it works in Irving and in McKinney. Now it's true, Irving and McKinney don't have as many calls as Dallas. They also don't have the high crime rate, the violent crime, the manpower shortage, the equipment shortage or detectives with banker's hours. Irving and McKinney do have their own jails and an up-to-date computer system to tie everything together. Irving and McKinney also do not have patrol overtime. If Dallas Officers got a raw deal from the forty-hour work week (and they did), the 12-hour shifts will reopen old wounds. Is strike three on the way?

Only the Chief knows.