MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Well, so much for all those promises of transparency in city government. The all-important process of selecting a new police director has now turned into a secret cabal – where even city council members are being shut out of the questioning.
You may recall that Mayor Jim Strickland last week announced the names of seven finalists to succeed director Mike Rallings, who is retiring next month. City officials indicated that the public would get an opportunity to question all seven finalists. But all that has now changed.
Instead, select members from several groups of citizens will interview the candidates privately without any media present. And the process won’t become public until after Strickland selects his nominee.
Naturally, that is not sitting well with council members – and who can blame them. The council will have to confirm the mayor’s pick. So it seems odd – and frankly unwise – to shut them and the media out of the interviews.
Being police director is arguably the toughest job in Greater Memphis. Despite all of the talk recently about reimaging policing – along with promises of greater transparency – the selection of the next director is now turning into anything but transparent.
Several council members have already shown they want to see systemic change in the MPD. Questioning the director candidates in secret is no way to assure the public that change is on the way. And that’s my point of view.
