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Why Police Chiefs Don't Have As Much Power As You'd Think

Connecticut Public Radio | By Colin McEnroe
Published October 19, 2011 at 2:55 PM EDT
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Chion Wolf

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Chion/CMS%2010-19-2011.mp3

Being a police chief is a difficult job. Chiefs manage an entire department and have to contend with politicians, citizens and unions. It's hard to satisfy everyone. In Connecticut, there's recently been a lot of shakeups among police chiefs.

Here's our story so far - In Hartford, police Chief Daryl Roberts has decided to retire or has been squeezed out, depending on whom you believe. Over in New Haven, Police Chief Frank Limon has left that job way ahead of schedule, maybe by mutual consent, depending on whom you believe.

Providence Rhode Island police chief Dean Esserman decided to resign or was squeezed out, again ... depending on whom you believe. He's getting the New Haven job after having expressed in interest in the Hartford job.

The situation of the Middletown police chief is so complicated I'm not even sure I can explain it, but his continued tenure was the subject of a ballot question in the coming election, although that question may have been rendered moot.

On today's show, what's happening to police chiefs? The shrinking of their tenures is a national trend. How did the job get so hard?

Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
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Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Colin McEnroe

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Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

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The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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