Charlotte Announces New Police Chief Kerr Putney

EDITORIAL

SEEKING INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

City Councilperson Claire Fallon said 'we know him' and 'we don't have time to search for a new chief.''  Kerr Putney has been named the new Chief of Police for the City of Charlotte.  

The FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) was surveyed and the majority said they believe there should have been an external search.  The CMPD rank and file were ignored in favor of choosing a guy that would continue the Rodney Monroe plan. If you assume CMPD/FOP members have their own aspirations of being promoted from within, you may think that a passable candidate (according to CMPD members) would have been supported strongly.  It wasn't even a question about Putney, but the writing was on the wall and the answer was "look somewhere else."  

The City Manager explained we were in a hurry and didn't have the money to search for someone else.  Has this City Manager never heard of "Interim Chief?"

If Putney were named Interim Chief, all the things the City Manager and Council say about what is needed could have been tested.  He still could have been named Chief.  Removing someone as Chief has proven difficult and this rash hiring is not good management.

COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT

Everyone must educate themselves and vote in a responsible City Council who will hire competent City Management and insist on a police department run with integrity and which is accountable to Charlotte's citizens.

  

ONE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUTNEY TO PROVE HIMSELF

Unless Kerr Putney enters his new position and opens a significant number of Internal Affairs investigations for all the things he has known and didn't do anything about before, he has a vote of No-Confidence from many.  This would include everything hidden by his predecessor from retaliation against great officers, covering up for terrible officers (did you mean it when you said you don't want 'criminals with badges?', financial irregularities, and bad hiring/promotion/training practices that have led to generally bad morale in the ranks.  And investigating CMPD finances should be top on someone's list.  It would be a surprising change if Putney rises to challenge.

Good luck to us all.  

The Chief is retiring. Long live the new Chief.