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8 commanders in a decade: East Precinct’s revolving door

Since 1999, when then Captain John Diaz (now the city’s interim police chief) left the East Precinct following a lengthy tenure, there have been eight — count ‘em, eight — East Precinct Commanders minding the fort on 12th and Pine.

I think I can do this from memory, so here goes the captain roll call since then: Toni Malliet, Nick Metz, Mark Evenson, Fred Hill, Mike Meehan, Landy Black, Paul McDonagh and, beginning on October 28, Jim Dermody. Counting Diaz that’s nine commanders in ten-and-a-half years. Of those who’ve held the post after Diaz’ moved up, McDonagh’s tenure, roughly two-and-a-half years, is the longest.

Seems like quite a lot, yes?

Yes. It is a lot. Because leaving aside the particular merits of each individual, such a revolving door calls into question whether the common good is as well served as it could and should be. So many transitions in such a short period of time by definition makes it harder for a commander to establish strong relationships with the community, and it certainly makes it harder for the community to get to know the commander in charge of the precinct. Building relationships take time, and continuously having to re-build such relationships is probably not the most efficient way to go about it regardless of the good intentions on both sides of the podium.

Assuming enthusiasm, intelligence and professional competence — and only one of the group of former commanders left the position under challenging circumstances (you get an extra bonus point for remembering which one, plus another point if you remember why) it’s reasonable to assume that stability in the position is of considerable benefit, all the more so given the police department’s official emphasis on neighborhood policing.

Certainly some commanders are better than others. And it’s understandable that career goals and abilities direct captains to higher positions. Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz, for instance, took a turn as head of the East Precinct in 2000. And Landy Black left the East Precinct to become the Police Chief in Davis, Calif.

But it’s disruptive when a well-regarded captain moves on. I remember quite a few people were upset when then Captain Diaz left the precinct after more than five years in the position. On the other side of the coin, several people asked me who Captain Evenson was after he was moved to another position following a short stint at the East Precinct.

I interviewed each of the East Precinct commanders around the time each took the reins. They had appropriately positive things to say about their new job, which, if memory serves, in each case represented a promotion and their first posting as a newly-minted captain. But after several such conversations I asked how long a new commander expected to stay on the Hill. Here’s Mike Meehan’s reply from 2004:

“I say this laughingly, but I told my boss that my intention is to stay here until the day I retire. I’ll stay here as long as they allow me to stay. I am very happy to be at the East Precinct.”

Meehan stayed until mid-2005.

The community should and no doubt will welcome Captain Dermody to the neighborhood. Here’s hoping he’s able to stick around for awhile.

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Zan-O
Zan-O
14 years ago

“I interviewed each of the East Precinct commanders around the time each took the reins.”

back in the home country, you didn’t interview the police, the police interviewed you

As the son of a former colonel of the Chorofilaki that always struck me as a better and more natural order of things. Safe to say there are quite a few folks in the east precinct who could benefit from a boot print or two across their face. Starting, naturalment, with the park fetishists.