Very Disappointed

By Dr. Keith A. Ogden –

I’m very disappointed that the city manager’s office did not allow the process to work itself out. In four years we have had two police chiefs, (Hogan and Anderson). The city manager’s office must also be held accountable for their missteps in not publicly supporting chiefs Hogan and Anderson.

In both situations the Asheville City Manager’s office put Chief Hogan and Anderson before the process.

Now, you have two Asheville Police Chiefs who have retired without anyone looking into, or asking about the process, and no support from the city manager’s office.

Now that I have a better understanding of the role and the responsibility of the Office of the Police Chief of Asheville, someone intentionally empowered the Civil Service Board so that the final decision of disciplinary actions, promotions, and any major decision by the chief of police rest solely, (and can be overturned) by the Asheville Civil Service Board.

The office of the Chief of Police of Asheville is nothing more than a figurehead position, without any hiring and/or firing authority. This must be changed.

Chief Anderson, like Chief Hogan, never had a chance to lead a mismanaged police department under the legislative restraints set forth by previous policy-makers.

There are three entities within the City of Asheville that wield and exercise too much power; they are:

• Asheville Civil Service Board
• Fraternal Order of Police
• Police Benevolent Association

Unless the city manager’s office and the Asheville City Council do what is right to ensure that a Chief of Police of Asheville has the authority and necessary tools to do their jobs without their hands being tied, those disgruntled police officers and others within the Asheville Police Department will be allowed to continue to perpetrate dysfunction, racism, and selfish desires throughout the department.