Recently, members of the Chief’s Advisory Board were tasked with assisting both Chief Pickens and ASUPD command staff in identifying major problems that are currently plaguing the department. Having “the worker bees” compile a list of problems would, in theory, put command staff more in touch with what issues the line-level employee is currently experiencing (and also allows the upper-echelons of the department to appear they are “tackling issues” when, in reality, their role is strictly reactionary).
However, what Pickens’ did NOT anticipate was that the problems his employees identified would be of any true significance, and also how tired his employees were of having their problems rephrased in a “diplomatic way”. What was shocking about these revelations is how openly discussed they were in a generalized sense on the ground level, but how absent they seemed to be when pen came to paper on the third floor. Members of the advisory board even went one step further, by countering all the problems that were identified at ASUPD with possible short and long term solutions! (Please see here for the full document: Advisory Board Meeting_3rd_revision).
The reaction of Pickens was to categorically minimize the actual problems that were identified, and then very generally appear to work on a solution when the grumbles of dissatisfied employees reached a fever-pitch. In reality, all the solutions to the aforementioned problems were already neatly and smartly presented to the Chief in the form of a PowerPoint by his “bees”, all he had to do was evaluate and implement them.
Why the absolute disconnect between the proposal of solutions at the employee level and the implementation at the command level? Approximately three months have transpired since Pickens was presented with this document! While we don’t have the complete answer, we postulate that staffing has damaged the department beyond the point of ANY intervention, or that command staff is attempting to alter this plan and present it as their own. Chief: regardless of the reason, it is reckless and cowardly to stand around taking NO action while ASUPD continues to fall further down the rabbit hole. You elicited the feedback from your employees for a reason; listen to them!
The problem is appearances and reality. Pickens is only concerned with the first. Why pay money for Accreditation people to advise you, have advisory meetings to advise you, and then ignore everything and everyone?
Pickens is the single biggest obstacle to positive change for this department and a real police department for ASU. When a leader stops listening to their people what are they? A tyrant, crazy, probably a little bit of both.
Pickens has no motive to take action on anything, just like he’s had no motive to do anything for his people for years. Clearly the Chief’s Advisory Meetings are a stunt for him. It’s ironic how a missing gas receipt for a car is a memo, a carefully tracked affair, but the ASU Police budget is a hush hush top secret. The chief knows the whole place would flip over it, he has to keep a lid on the truth.
They are being ignored because the chief’s bosses apparently approve of the JOB HE ISN’T doing. These academics don’t value a strong capable police department because they are scared of stats in Clery reporting. In the mean time the safety of tens of housands of people is being shit on.
Did they ever think stats might decrease with an effective patrol presence? Right now the would be criminals are wise to our weakness as an agency and know there’s a good chance they will get away with whatever misdemeanor or felony they have in mind. I would like to see this patch mean something again.
How can the chief send a clearer message he doesn’t care? He can’t. He asks people what they think now in order to ignore them later. Look at the record, he’s been doing it for years and the department has failed to keep pace with the growth of the university.
They are being ignored because ASU leadership has made it clear to Pickens he has nothing to lose, nothing to worry about, and that he’s doing a fine job!
With all the information and warnings done by department people on this blog and the Indeed posts they are setting themselves up for personal civil lawsuits once the lawsuits against the state, university conclude. Eventually Mayberry will have a real police event where, Tempe PD, Phoenix PD, Mesa PD, Gilbert PD, or MCSO, won’t be there to save us.
When, not if, but when one of us gets hurt because we don’t have the backup, were denied training, to handle a call…again…lawsuits. Put in for advanced training, you will get denied, and save the email, paperwork off work computers at your home in case you’re the one.
Save everything to build your case against negligent leadership here because clearly it’s a problem. A lawyer won’t take your case on potential earning if they don’t think there is enough evidence to win it. I’m not saying this because I’m lawsuit happy, I’m saying this because you and I know that if you’re hurt or killed the leadership of our police department will do the lip service and nothing more.
This whole movement needs to go outside to the next level. Additional resources from the state government, federal government, and the media are the next logical step.
The lack of inaction to fix the department on the part of our “leadership” is predictable; the lack of inaction on the part of the leadership of the Arizona State University is inexcusable.
Pickens and his cronies should be given pink slips for failure, instead they are planning an awards banquet to hand each other awards. Awards they voted each other for in order to recognize all that they do in the world of law enforcement and public safety…from behind a desk.
The problems are being ignored because the chief has proven he can fail over and over again and there’s no consequence for it.
Chief pimp JP now feels empowered to continue running a rape dungeon disguised as a police department. The press needs to be contacted, more information uncovered, exposed, in order for the momentum to continue.
The community keeps dodging the bullet of having a non-existent patrol presence, miserable staff, it can’t continue indefinitely. A building full of highly paid supervisors doesn’t translate to boots on the ground, apparently Mike Crow and friends can’t wrap their heads around this.
So in summary nothing will change because it hasn’t changed for years and Chief Slim Pickens has no motivation to make it change. He will jump at E tower before he acknowledges he has a people/culture problem driving people away. Is that accurate?
Is that why we’re still paying outside agency dispatchers overtime after 3 years, still paying outside agencies overtime for special events more than ever, still paying our own officers department overtime every week and year after year to cover holes in the schedule. Great leadership inspiring officers young and old to get the hell out of here or become police aides.
[…] departmental discord (in the form of indeed.com and The Integrity Report) began going public. After we posted some Advisory Board meeting minutes, the Chief forbid anyone from having any hard copy notes or meeting minutes. None of the […]