We have received a few emails and comments from critics of The Integrity Report who like to categorize us as a small group of “disgruntled ASUPD employees” whose issues aren’t important or legitimate. We also know ASUPD Command Staff and university officials have a similiar perception of the blog–complaints from one or two department members who don’t represent the majority opinion of the department.
The issues discussed here are very relevant to the majority of the department, and have been previously or are currently being discussed by members of ASUPD. Also, the reaction from ASUPD Command staff and university higher-ups have in regard to the blog supports the assertion that the issues discussed here ARE relevant, because many of them have elicited a knee-jerk response on behalf of ASU. Here’s our list of changes at ASUPD brought about as a direct/indirect result of the issues discussed at The Integrity Report:
The Indeed.com Pay Raises:During the Summer of 2013, an ASUPD employee posted a negative job review on the job searching site indeed.com. Soon after, a giant discussion began to brew on indeed’s employer forums area about how miserable people were working at ASUPD (the majority of the posts were subsequently removed by indeed.com, thanks to a call from a member from Command staff to the site’s administrators). Following in the footsteps of indeed.com for The Integrity Report was created for the purpose of continuing the open discussion about ASUPD’s problems.
After the slew of negative publicity about ASUPD continued (and was not able to be stopped), ASUPD decided to give its officers a “pay update” after 5+ years of pay freezes. The timing of the pay raise was very coincidental, especially considering that employees had broached the issues of a pay raise since 2009, only to be dismissed by Chief Pickens.
Resurrection of the Chief’s Advisory Board: The Chief’s Advisory Board is a tool where a select group of people chosen by the Chief go to voice their concerns over departmental issues , in hopes of some resolution. The Board has been around for years, but essentially went defunct in 2009. However, in September of 2013–directly following the indeed.com and blog scandals–the Chief’s Advisory Board sprang back to life. Pickens’ sent out a department wide email promising to use the board to resolve issues and move the department in a positive direction. Since the advisory board has come back, it has only met a handful of times, and none of the suggestions on improving the department have been implemented (other than getting rid of the mosquito problem in Tempe 103).
ASUPD’s involvement with HR: In an effort to straighten out ASUPD’s problems (and perhaps quash the flow of information to the blog), the head of ASU’s Human Resources, Kevin Salcido, began to look into the situation at the PD. Many felt (us included) that Salcido was genuinely interested in helping the PD; he listened to the concerns of at least 10 previous and current employees and stated that he would “look into”problems that were reoccurring. However, after plainly stating he was not formally investigating anyone in the PD, it became apparent Salcido was only interested in intel gathering from these “disgruntled employees”, mentioning the blog to several employees.
Employees can’t access their email on days off, post old schedules: One of our posts (where we released an old schedule to show how dangerously low staffing levels are) prompted an email to be sent to all PD employees from Kevin Salcido. This email first discussed all the things the department is doing to turn itself around (none of which have made a positive impact), and went on to state that posting an old schedule was a “security” concern and could result in termination. Shortly after this email, another email was sent to department employees forbidding them from accessing their email on their days off.
ASUPD tried several tactics to bolster staffing numbers: Following the slew of posts made about ASU’s low staffing numbers, as well as the discussion in the Chief’s Advisory Board, ASU posted a job opening for a PD recruiter position on indeed.com, as well as started an employee referral program., and created a recruiting video and brochure.
ASUPD kicked off it’s “2014 Apology Tour”: Chief Pickens held mandatory meetings at each of the satellite campuses in his first even “Apology Tour”. He felt the need to tell all of his supposed disgruntled employees personally how hard he was working to improve the department, and how much he cares about each of his employees in an effort to preserve his job. Prior to the blog, Pickens would rarely go to any of the satellite campuses, especially not for a positive reason.
ASUPD starts taking training seriously: We have emphasized the important of training a lot here, especially in regards how poorly training your employees opens up your department for civil liability. After years of arbitrarily assigning officers/PAs to train new employees (without any formal training on how to properly do so), ASUPD has been actually sending their sworn and civilian employees to the appropriate training.
Recently, all of ASUPD’s supervisors also had some legal training from ASUPD’s legal advisers, Ginn and Edwards. The topic of discussion was none other than civil liability for supervisors! After year and years of improper training and supervision, it seems quite odd that ASUPD finally broached the issue now?
ASUPD’s “Start By Believing”: Again, the sudden emphasis on sexual violence victims comes on the heels of an article we posted on the safety of students on campus under Title IX, as well as an article about how ASUPD omitted or incorrectly reported the number of sex offenses reported under the Clery Act.
This blog and its issues have helped to set the stage for change, but it has happened because of all of ASUPD’s employees who refuse to get treated poorly, who refuse to work in a hostile environment, and who don’t accept the status quo! Thanks all for disseminating this blog and its issues to the entire AZ LE community (and also the rest of the world); it has shamed ASUPD into slowly changing their ways. However, there are still more hard issues worth discussing and battles worth waging in the near future, so stay tuned.
That’s more stunts than a circus act. When you get all of our commanders on a real police situation que the circus tunes then call Tempe PD.
It’s true. Nothing has changed for years until the publicly of issues and lack of employees made scheduling a constant shuffle of staff and last ditch calls for overtime to cover regular shifts. It’s sad we are paying 160k a year to a chief who doesn’t have the McDonald’s management skillset necessary for the job.
It’s sad the only real change ASUPD has experienced is a result of exposure from the blog. These guys only respond when their jobs are threatened, or if someone makes them look like the incompetent GED holders that they are.
You mentioned the GED holders, somewhat ironic. For a university police department many of the middle management and some upper management have had such a distain for college educated people.
The people in charge of our underprepared department are knee-jerk reactive idiots incapable of creating a unified competent front or managing police issues. They are too concerned making their bosses happy with enforcing university policies, running after bike thieves, and doing petty retention internal affairs on already fed up employees.
That is why the chief will continually have no other answer for anything besides saying he’s always hiring. Coming to ASUPD for a police career is like going to a whore to look for a wife. They may appear similar, but not where it matters, leading to disappointment.
Can you add getting rid of the dead weight at the top of this department to this list? The university would have no trouble replacing them and finding qualified command that lead cops at real agencies.
Btw, thanks for the Indeed raise. Command only gives itself raises year after year. I hear all about the pressure you have been puting on these guys and it’s good, they deserve it.
Good points. There’s no doubt there has been a lot of reaction, but I have no faith in ASUPD leadership to make any real change for the better, just excuses of why they can’t or won’t. There are no leaders there, just bosses.
In summary…The Integrity Report on the ASU Police Department is long overdue enema that place needed to get things moving again. It surprises me how much incompetence Crow is willing the accept from his police department. Maybe he should be named in some of the lawsuits for knowing about the policing issues and doing nothing about them?
I heard a theory from a “disgruntled” employee…
The ASU administrators (Crow, Olsen) have done a cost-benefit analysis. IF a mass casualty incident were to occur at ASU, it would be cheaper to pay out 20-30 victims’ families than to run an effective police department. How many times have there been repeat incidents at the same location? How much money have they saved so far by crippling the department and relying on other agencies? Does ASU pick up their own insurance tab, or are they blanketed under the States insurance?
Why does Pickens keep his job and keep getting raises? He keeps costs low and refunds the remainder of the budget to his bosses. Crow doesn’t care about public safety, he cares about the bottom line. The police don’t create revenue, so why fund them appropriately?
Maybe Pickens is doing exactly what his bosses want… perhaps we should focus on the king, not the pawn.
You are spot on in your assessment; Pickens is a pawn in ASU’s bureaucratic chess game. Unfortunately, at this stage in the game, all the direct evidence of wrong-doing has pointed to Pickens; Crow is much too smart to leave a trail of evidence behind. However, as the ball of yarn slowly unravels, he will eventually be implicated in this mess as well. It just takes time to put all the pieces together.
That theory is correct, it’s all about money and perception. If their kids were on campus maybe they might care about their safety and how ass backasswards ASUPD is.
Good to see that some things are changing, but this is a journey of a thousand miles. Another step is to take a serious look at our FTO program. Looks like we lost another one due to FTO issues. From what I understand he did well with a couple FTOs and not so well with one in particular…more of the same. ASU hires and we see how fast we can send ’em packin’. It just doesn’t make sense.
Until there is significant change on the third floor of the department keep the hits coming. The department continues making the same mistakes over and over and less than a fuck is given. Pickens and command continue to get rewarded fir failure because nobody holds them accountable for it.
I couldn’t agree more. This could be a terrific place to work as a LEO…but not while those people keep neglecting the issues. I don’t want to keep harping on the FTO program, but I’ve seen some things recently that really don’t make any sense. I’ve only been here a short while compared to some (lets just say less than 3 years), but if I can see it, surely others see it.
I know it’s much easier said than done, but if the entire group of line officers stood as one, the 3rd floor would be forced to change. Has anyone considered a no-confidence vote? I’m just throwing out suggestions here…otherwise I’m gonna start looking elsewhere.
As another posted mentioned, the vote of no confidence was already brought up. Unfortunately, even if it was unanimously decided amongst officers, what “teeth” would it actually have? The folks above the Chief’s level have already decided they don’t want to intervene in ASUPD’s issues, and we all know Pickens won’t leave willingly.
Unfortunately, only thing that could realistically work is to shame the department into submission. They hate having the public know the truth about what transpires at the department, so right now that appears to be the best approach toward change.
The no confidence vote was brought up years ago and never went anywhere. The fact is it will take years for this place to rebuild into a reputable police department and that’s with the support of command and the university. Without either of those it will stay the way it is. You’re better off going to a department that appreciates their employees.
The integrity report shined a giant spotlight on a nest of cockroaches and they are scrambling to counter it.
The integrity report shot so many holes in command’s little row boat you have all of them playing little dutch boy putting their fingers in the leaking holes to prevent the sinking. I think the commanders haven’t really been at their respective campuses since the first shots. Thanks for the raise. Without the pressure to do something for his scrubs I know Pickens would have ignored everything as usual.
One way The Integrity Report has changed the ASU PD is that Chief John L. Pickens and the command staff* have been exposed, in a public way, on how many, within the command- and mid-level allegedly operate unethically, maliciously, and possibly illegally, to fulfill their hidden agendas with the presumed tacit approval of the chief’s boss, Dr. Morgan R. Olsen, and the head of ASU’s HR, Kevin J. Salcido.
For example, it is alleged that Chief Pickens had gone to the University Technology Office (UTO) to see if he could find out who the anonymous posters were on The Integrity Report.**
UTO had to enlighten Chief Pickens that they could not operate outside the parameters of the law to obtain the names of the anonymous posters of the blog.
And if Chief Pickens was able to illegally obtain the names of the posters of the blog, what would be his next course of action?
Do you really think Chief Pickens’ attempt to illegally obtain the names of the posters of the blog was going to be for benevolent purposes?
One would think that a member of the command staff would have educated Chief Pickens that this is not a police state and that his authority is not absolute, but limited by statues and laws.
Dr. Olsen and Mr. Salcido are aware of issues and concerns that many employees have regarding how the ASU PD operates and treats its employees. Despite written and verbal testimonials, they have done nothing to hold anyone accountable.
Applying paint in a building and sending command staff and supervisors to supplemental training is fine and dandy, however, the university’s leadership is still not holding anyone at the command- and mid-level fully accountable for alleged maltreatment of employees and mismanagement.
If you have a gash on your arm and you merely place a gauze on the gash without properly treating the gash with some kind of antiseptic, the gash might seem to be okay initially because it‘s covered by the gauze but, underneath the gauze, the gash is festering, eventually possibly becoming seriously infected, and causing more problems because the gash wasn’t properly treated in the first place.
The preceding paragraph is similar to what is going on in the department. If you don’t properly treat, i.e., investigate and hold individual(s) accountable for validated misdeeds, the problems in the department will only fester and get worse as time goes on.
Until the university’s leadership takes that bold and necessary step to start investigating alleged maltreatment of employees and mismanagement and then, if substantiated, holding the individual(s) accountable, nothing will change, except continued negative PR for Arizona State University and its leadership.
It is, indeed, unfortunate that The Integrity Report can’t report more positive news regarding the ASU PD. However, at this point in time, there is not a lot that has changed, of substance internally, since the inception of the Indeed.com postings.
And whether the university’s leadership realizes this or not, they will eventually be forced to make the needed changes within the ASU PD, either through continued public exposure of taxpayer funded mismanagement and maltreatment of current and former employees or through an inevitable intervention by an outside entity with vastly more resources at its disposal than a public university.
*Assistant Chiefs: James Hardina and Michael Thompson; Commanders: William Orr, Chris Speranza, Michele Rourke, Lou Scichilone and Kevin Williams.
**Chief Pickens’ alleged attempt to obtain the anonymous posters names may have actually occurred during the genesis of the Indeed.com postings.
It is statutes and laws; sorry for the typo.
Very well said.
The Integrity Report caught command as unprepared as ever and this time exposed it publicly. This is a good thing for the people who have to work under them and it is the only motivation command will have to conduct themselves professionally with the risk of exposure looming over their heads.
Keep the integrity spotlight on the roaches, keep them scurrying for cover.
Exactly…
[…] like his interactions with Jasmine Lester, Salcido’s pledge to “look into” ASUPD’s problems were completely useless. When the head of the Human Resources department at the largest university […]