Annapolis Capital Punishment

Is Police Chief Joseph Johnson about to get the pink slip? CP has repeatedly called for Mayor Moyer to help Police Chief Joseph Johnson toward his retirement since CP started writing this blog but now there are signs that it may be about to happen. While yesterday's front-page article in The Capital about confusion over crime fighting (see post below) was being discussed all over the city, CP was listening to two local officials/politicos in the know who were questioning whether comments made by the Chief were going to blow the Mayor's top. The words "fire" and "resign" and "John Patmore" (the ousted former Department of Public Works chief who openly questioned the Mayor) kept coming up.

For example, regarding a Drug Enforcement Agency agreement:

"Mr. Weaver [Public Information Officer] and Ms. Moyer blamed Chief Johnson for the flub. They said the chief forwarded Ms. Moyer a copy of the DEA agreement last week, along with a hand-written note."

and....

Chief Johnson agreed with Mr. Cordle [Alderman] that Ms. Moyer doesn't always know how the department works, but said "it's not her place to know."
That said, Chief Johnson said he doesn't always know what the mayor wants when she issues orders and launches public safety initiatives.

How about that? The Police Chief says, "it's not her place to know."

Well, whose place is it to know? If CP worked for an elected official and told the local newspaper that it was not his boss's place to know what was going on, he would have already booked the tickets to Las Vegas...or at least to a cabin in the Poconos.

Of course, when CP was the marketing specialist and public information officer in the Department of Transportation, the Mayor never discussed or shared what her plans were regarding transportation. CP would find out about it by reading it in the paper or hearing it at a City Council meeting, so he understands the Chief's predicament. It's part of Ellen's "bee in her bonnet" style of mis-management coupled with her control-freak tendencies. It poisoned the atmosphere and led to waste and anxiety, and it still goes on.

CP once again urges the Mayor to allow the chief to retire so we can bring in new blood, new ideas and new leadership...if we can find a seasoned police professional willing to put up with the shenanigans. If CP were a top cop being considered for the job, he'd tell the Mayor flat out that there will be no place for politics in running the police department and that the news story will NEVER be about me as police chief.