How Should the Police Chief Be Chosen?

Editor,

As a vociferous critic of Laguna Beach’s governmental and police department’s lack of ethics and morals, I thought John Pietig’s performance on Tuesday (Sept. 9) exemplified most of what I am critical about the character of our leaders.

I asked Mr. Pietig these important questions, and he refused to answer any of them.

I asked John what his personal credentials were to feel he is qualified to be the sole judge of who our next police chief will be.  I asked John what qualities he was looking for in his candidates, and he refused to answer this simple question.  This question, silence communication went on for another eight or so important questions, which Mr. Pietig felt he had no responsibility to answer.

John explained that this so-called forum was the public’s sole contribution to the selection process. He said he would gather candidates, and our faux city council would pick the three or four finalists for Mr. Pietig to be the sole judge of.

I asked Johnny if these different levels of interviews would be open to the public, and Johnny refused to answer.  I asked Mr. Pietig if he understood the concept of government transparency, and he again refused to answer. Giving small credit to John, he might not have understood the term, since it is not used in Laguna Beach.

Citizens, we have a sole judge, who refuses to identify his qualities for this important position, refuses to answer what he is looking for, and refuses to deny this will be all done in secret. Our last two police chiefs have been failures, and Mr. Pietig thinks he is qualified to speak for all of Laguna Beach? Maybe the one percent, but not the majority of our citizens who go unheard when they complain about police corruption.

Laguna Beach needs a transparent selection process, with public comment available at all stages, and our city leaders need to be willing to listen to and answer our citizen’s questions, instead of their usual process of not feeling obligated to answer public concerns. Laguna Beach citizens deserve and should demand the proper transparency on maybe the most important police chief decision our city has faced!

Eli J. Grossman, Laguna Beach

The writer is a candidate for the Laguna Beach City Council.