Here’s the bottom line on the hiring of a new Gilroy police
chief: let’s get it right.
Here’s the bottom line on the hiring of a new Gilroy police chief: let’s get it right.
The city is in the throes of hiring the new chief, and the selection of the top candidate has been made. If the process doesn’t hit any major stumbling blocks, Denise Turner, chief of the King County Sheriff’s Office technical-services division in Washington state will become Gilroy’s top law enforcement officer.
She started as a reserve officer, working for the King County Sheriff’s Office since 1981.
But the deal with Turner, though far down the road, isn’t done or legally binding at this point.
The City Council has yet to formally endorse in open session the top selection of now-retired city manager Jay Baksa. Meanwhile, the Gilroy Police Officer’s Association has made further inquiries and is asking the acting city manager to make sure the background check includes looking into some important concerns unearthed in officer-to-officer inquiries.
All of this is a legitimate part of the process. The point, after all, is to get the right person and avoid making a costly mistake. Turner, or any other candidate, should be able to stand up to the intense scrutiny that comes with police chief territory.
It would have been better had the POA delivered their investigative concerns earlier, but be that as it may, it’s best for the City Council to wait patiently to make a final offer until all is deemed acceptable.
There’s no reason to rush into a decision Monday night, and Turner should surely understand the importance of a careful investigation.
Should Turner pass muster, then it’s incumbent upon everyone – the Council, the officers and the community – to give her a fair shake at taking the reins and doing the job.
Everyone who does a credible job in a position of authority makes enemies. Ferreting out the truth from anyone’s personal agenda is the key to making the right decision.
The Council should listen carefully, and ask plenty of questions to make sure they are fully satisfied before giving the thumbs up.
Meanwhile, the good news is that the process is working and that the officers of Gilroy obviously care a great deal about this critical selection for Gilroy. Whatever takes place next, the process is working.
