August 29, 2003
(Updated) Portland Police Chief Kroeker Abruptly Resigns At Request Of 'Intermediaries'
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
This morning, the Portland Tribune ran a story on Chief Kroeker and rumors of an impending resignation, which opened thusly:
Mayor Vera Katz denies persistent rumors that she is planning to ask Police Chief Mark Kroeker to resign because of the problems revealed in a recent report about police shootings and in-custody deaths.
"No. Next question," Katz said when asked if she was going to ask Kroeker to resign, rumors of which were sweeping through City Hall and the Portland Police Bureau on Thursday.
Kroeker said he has no plans to resign.
"I have not personally spoken to the mayor about this, and I am grateful for her continued support," he said.
Nonetheless, lo and behold, later in the day, come this breaking news item, presented here in full, since it's a temporary URL:
Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker announced Friday that he is resigning from the police bureau effective Oct. 17.
In a brief, six-minute speech, Kroeker said he made the decision �with profound regret.� He did not provide a reason, except that the resignation �was requested of me through some intermediaries� in the mayor�s office.
Kroeker replaced Charles Moose as Portland's police chief, and served for 3 1/2 years.
Last week, an independent consultant released a report on police shootings and deaths in custody that was highly critical of bureau management. Kroeker at the time pledged to make immediate improvements.
"I believe that it would�ve been better, had we had an opportunity to discuss the current conditions and strategically work together toward the solution of those problems that continue with the Portland Police Bureau," he said Friday.
Mayor Vera Katz, who appointed Kroeker after a nationwide search in December 1999, said she did not want to comment on his resignation until Tuesday.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, Katz said she was immediately appointing assistant chief Derrick Foxworth as acting Chief of Police.
Katz also said, "I know this was not an easy decision for him to make."
Via KGW, here is Kroeker's resignation letter. The station repeats Kroeker's explanation that he was asked to leave by the Mayor's office., while the Mayor "would only say that she had accepted" the resignation.
Assistant Chief Derrick Foxworth has been appointed acting Chief of Police by Mayor Katz. According to a Police Bureau spokesman, Foxworth was hired on September 9, 1981 and is 44-years old.
I had intended to come home from work today and catch up on all the police-related news from the past week or so, and then this drops into the mix. I'll catch up on the rest later this evening or tomorrow.
Meanwhile, here's more on the resignation story from The Oregonian.
Update
Before I go eat, here's an initial theory. It's hard right now to judge whether Katz was responding to criticisms directed at Kroeker from the right or the left sides of the spectrum, and therefore where Katz herself comes down. But one thing is perhaps more clear than that issue: Kroeker is a lightning rod for complaints and criticisms of the Portland Police Bureau. Even if he moved to truly reform the Bureau and repair community relations, at this point no one would buy it coming from him.
Update
For what it's worth, don't expect to hear much more on this over the weekend, barring inside information obtained by one or another of the local news outlets. According to a spokesman for the Police Bureau, neither Kroeker nor Foxworth will be granting any interview requests until sometime next week at the earliest, and as stated above, Katz doesn't intend to say anything until Tuesday.
Update
Various news outlets are relaying that tomorrow's Oregonian will report that "Katz had ex-City Commissioner Mike Lindberg relay an ultimatum that the chief resign by 11 a.m. on Tuesday or she would fire him."
Still no word on just what were the reasons. Mayor Katz plans a news conference next Tuesday.
This is all very intriguing. Just what sort of bad blood erupted into such a nasty configuration as to move Katz to hide behind an intermediary in ordering Kroeker's resignation? Surely it can't be the McCollister discipline, since (as far as I recall) Katz signed off on Kroeker's disciplinary decision in that matter.
It's one thing to argue, as I have, that this is about removing a lightning rod from the Police Bureau. But the manner in which Katz dismissed Kroeker seems far more personal and cut-throat than would be necessary for such purposes. Unless, perhaps, they've discussed his resignation for that purpose in the past, and he refused to consider it, so Katz had to issue an ultimatum, and do it through a go-between. Still, it doesn't seem particularly, well, mayoral.
Posted at 06:06 PM | PermalinkComments (2) | TrackBacks (4)
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Trackbacks (4)
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croaked on 29 Aug 2003
b!X has a roundup on PortlandPolice Chief Kroeker's resignation. At least, I suppose, he can look forward to his garbage being left in peace.
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croaked on 29 Aug 2003
b!X has a roundup on Portland Police Chief Kroeker's resignation. At least, I suppose, he can look forward to his garbage being left in peace.
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croaked on 30 Aug 2003
b!X has a roundup on Portland Police Chief Kroeker's resignation. At least, I suppose, he can look forward to his garbage being left in peace. There's more commentary follow-on entry.
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croaked on 30 Aug 2003
b!X has a roundup on Portland Police Chief Kroeker's resignation. At least, I suppose, he can look forward to his garbage being left in peace. There's more commentary in a follow-on entry.
Comments (2)
Emma on 29 Aug 2003
Proof that first ain't necessarily best. Nice work.
Mac Diva on 31 Aug 2003
This is situation is a hell of a mess. I've lived in about five cities, usually as a reporter, and I've never seen anything like it. The additional upheaval of driving Kroeker out is likely to cause more trouble than it is worth. Katz should have let her successor choose a new police chief.