When Does It End?

I know, I know, I owe a post on the new chief business. I'll get to it eventually. It's a little more cumbersome than I first thought.

Anyway, while we're here, a few thoughts (OK, a lot of lengthy thoughts) on yesterday's disappointing disappearing act by the PD at Police Chief Robert DeMoura's swearing-in.

When does this end? When my 4-year-old (5 tomorrow, but you get the point) pouts "It's not fair," we generally laugh or ignore her. But this isn't funny, and it can't be ignored any more. And yes, I'm purposefully comparing the police union to a bunch of 4- and 5-year-olds.

If you didn't hear -- the rumor mill was blazing about this late last week, so it wasn't a big shocker -- police officers took a pass on yesterday's swearing-in. Just the latest in the union's pity party over DeMoura being chosen. At some point, one of two things are going to happen. The union is going to get over it and move on. Or it won't, and the people they work for are going to suffer for it, if they aren't already.

The union has a number of gripes with the city, some valid, some not. In most cases, the gripes focus on how horrible Lisa Wong is, which is mostly not valid. If you need a refresher, skim through the many, many comments on the Police Department from Receivership and others. That should get you up to date. Let's review:

The department needs new cruisers. This is a valid need. The cruiser money has been cut in the last two budgets, and you'd have to think it's not coming this time around. Sadly, the city is in financial straights. It has nothing to do with being anti-police or anti-police union. Can Wong and DeMoura find money for cars in this upcoming budget (with the $5 million hole in it)? I think the union and the officers understand the situation. This is becoming more and more of a priority, but I'm not sure it's going to be taken care of this year, sadly.

The officers desevere a raise. Heck, who doesn't? And yes, the union raise situation is a very messy one. And yes, it's a valid demand in a vacuum, but not in the current economic environment. But you know what, it's not really Wong or DeMoura's fault. And by "not really," I should say, "not their fault at all." It's one of the many messes they inherit. But the union also has to realize that they got hooked up a little bit last year when the dispatchers were let go. Also, the current financial situation creates this potential quandry: Raises, but layoffs. Or, more likely, raises, but even more layoffs. My perception has always been that unions in general prefer raises, even in the face of layoffs. I don't know if that's the case here. But considering the current financial situation, the cries for a raise probably won't go too far with the public. Especially a public that seems to be fighting its own economic hardships. But maybe that's just me. The police union got hosed on raises. But you can't remake the past. You can only deal with the present, and it's not a present that seems very bright-looking on this point. The union is right to complain on this one, but there may not be very much it can do on it, either.

DeMoura is the chief. Completely not valid. Take off "Fitchburg" in Paul Bozicas' resume and "Lowell" in DeMoura's, and replace them with "Smallville" and "Tinytown." Most people would agree that DeMoura was the better candidate. I hate to crank on Bozicas even a little bit, because he's a good guy and would be a good chief, but I'm still waiting for someone from to argue that Bozicas was the better candidate, not just that he's the local guy.

I'm also still waiting for someone to say "We're moving on." Hell, I'd take, "We're disappointed, but we're moving on." At this point, "We're bitterly disappointed and think Wong and DeMoura are Mrs. And Mr. Evil, but we're moving on," would be OK. Yesterday most certainly wasn't that day, apparently. Instead of taking the high road, the union continues to drag this out. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the PD today, although it will probably be about as uncomfortable as Michael Scott's condo (if you saw last week's "The Office," you know exactly what I'm talking about). Despite the no-show, DeMoura is still showing up for work today.

Here's, now, the question. Up to yesterday, it was OK to write the union's stance off as sour grapes, and maybe the need for a little time to get over and move on. But, clearly, they are not moving on, and probably don't plan on moving on anytime soon.

Which is OK, I guess, but the professional and responsible move would have been to show up. The union, like Wong and DeMoura, work for the taxpayers of the city. We elected Wong, who in doing what she thought was right for the city, picked DeMoura. The union has acted throughout as if the chief works for it, not the city. Now, the union has made its professionalism and responsibility while on the job open to question. After this latest move, how can you automatically assume officers are going to work today with an open mind and a focus on working for citizens, when they clearly have self-created a distraction that they aren't getting over? This is a situation it created over the last few months.

DeMoura has a mandate to make the city safer, but does he have the tools and manpower dedicated to that mandate, or a union that only wants to make him miserable and set him up for failure? It's more than a political question, it's one that gets to the very heart of the safety of the 40,000 people that live in this city. It's sad and unfortunate that the union has forced it to be asked.

10-1

What to make of the 10-1 vote on incoming Police Chief Robert DeMoura? Was Ward 3 Councilor Joel Kaddy sticking to his guns, or is this a piece of evidence to a larger battle with the mayor?

Kaddy was a Tom Donnelly guy during last year's campaign. He said all the right things after Lisa Wong was elected and took office, but Tuesday's vote along with Kaddy's previous comments on the chief and some buzz regarding Kaddy trying to run around the mayor on some other things has to make you wonder.

Kaddy didn't want DeMoura. He wanted Bozicas. Fine. He wasn't the only one. But traditionally, one of two things happen in these situations: The one holdout councilor either toes the party line and votes in favor of the obvious candidate, or the councilor votes against, but immediately after asks to has his or her vote changed. In both cases, the councilor includes a little speech about getting along and being a team player and promoting unity and all that. It sends the message that bygones are bygones and everyone is ready to move forward.

But that didn't happen here. Why? Kaddy should have read the handwriting on the wall. He knew how this was going down. So why not take the traditional path? Why not vote for unity and welcoming the chief and all that, instead of reminding everyone one more time how there's a chunk of the city pissed off at this hire.

Kaddy, it should be noted, is a former police officer, and surely his vote was well received by his former colleagues. But Kaddy doesn't work for the police officers. He works for the people of Ward 3, and the entire city second. Maybe this vote would have been just mildly interesting if it wasn't for some rumors that Kaddy has pulled a move or two recently to try to cut off a potential Wong plan at the pass (and, no, I'm not offering details, yet).

Maybe this is all just bad math: Donnelly supporter + outspoken Bozicas fan + rumor mill + holding ground on a vote = Kaddy-Wong feud. Or maybe this is the first sign that not all 11 councilors are on the same page with mayor, and may not be totally willing to play ball. We'll probably get a better answer to that question during budget season, which is just weeks away.

One thing about Kaddy's vote is for sure: A unanimous vote could have put an end to the hometown/outsider battle that turned the chief's search ugly (although the resulting pick is solid). Instead, Kaddy's vote is a reminder not just that those divisions were there, they probably aren't going away.

Welcome to Fitchburg, Robert DeMoura. And welcome to Fitchburg politics, Lisa Wong.

DeMoura Speaks

A question-and-answer with prospective police chief Robert DeMoura is available at the Fitchburg Pride website. It includes his thoughts on plans for the department (nothing too new if you've been following this), and his thoughts on coming into the department as an outsider ("Truly, I am no outsider, I am a police officer.")

DeMoura Named Police Chief

It was here earlier through comments, but the press release is in: Lowell Deputy Robert DeMoura was named police chief today. Read all about it the Fitchburg Pride website. And for now, nowhere else.

UPDATE (4:23 p.m.): There's a Q-and-A with the mayor on the Fitchburg Pride website, talking about why DeMoura, and a few other chief-related things. Go check it out.

While we're on the topic, the grumbling is already starting, which shouldn't be a surprise. But should this result really be a surprise? On paper, and from what we know of the mayor, DeMoura was a far more attractive candidate to her. I actually got into this a little bit last month, which you can read here if you want a refresher. But because DeMoura seemed to be the obvious choice, that doesn't mean this was a bag job, set up by someone else, or anything else. It's already getting around out there, but I'll wait for some pretty solid facts to back it up. I also haven't had anyone explain to me very well how the outsider rigged a bag job. Usually that's the insider's deal. So anyway, simply, not a huge surprise, and not exactly a sign of egregious backroom dealing, either.

Wong's Big Decision

Sometime in the next few weeks, Mayor Lisa Wong is going to announce her choice for police chief, and it will likely tell quite about how Wong is going to operate as mayor.

Of course, we heard plenty from Wong before and after the campaign, and she appears to be settling into the job. But this chief decision will be a big insight into how she is going to operate just two months into her tenure. She's not saying how she's feeling about her choice, so much of this is speculation, but isn't that what the Internet is for?

On paper, Lowell Police Supt. Robert DeMoura would appear to be her guy. He has a strong management approach, a clear plan of action, and strongly favors community policing. Fitchburg Lt. Paul Bozicas has a strong background, and would certainly make a good chief. But think of it this way -- his main argument at the public forum a couple of weeks ago was based on his history of community service. Wasn't that the argument Tom Donnelly made last year -- and Wong ran against -- in the mayor's race?

DeMoura and Bozicas are pretty evenly matched. They have different philosophies and different ways of doing things. Knowing Wong a little bit, and from what we've seen and heard from DeMoura, it would seem he'd be a better match for Wong and her management background.

However, let's throw in this: Pressure and politics say Wong should go with Bozicas. If Wong picks Bozicas, a handful of folks will grumble quietly, but Wong will make the politically safe move. If she picks DeMoura, the union will throw an absolute hissy-fit, based on its recent public squawking over Phil Kearns being knocked off the finalist list.

So, how much does that play in Wong's decision? If she picks Bozicas, she can stand up and say he's the best choice, and no one will argue otherwise. If she picks DeMoura, she can expect a ton of backlash. How much does she care about that? If she picks DeMoura, we'll know the answer is "not much."

More on Police Chief Candidates

As we are able to, we're posting brief bios on the candidates for the police chief at the Fitchburg Pride website. They are below the story posted on Saturday. As of right now, Paul Bozicas and Francis Donchez are available for viewing. When information on Timothy Sheehan and Robert DeMoura is fleshed out, we'll add those as well.

I talked to both briefly, and found them both to be nice, intelligent, and excited about the possibility of the job. Good stuff so far.

Search Committee Picks Four -- Not Kearns

The police chief search committee sent four names to Mayor Lisa Wong for her consideration -- but not acting Chief Philip Kearns. Find out who at the Fitchburg Pride website.

Chief Search Heating Up

The search for the new police chief hits a big point in the process tomorrow morning, when the search committee conducts interviews. You can read a little more about it at the Fitchburg Pride website. It's not in today's paper -- bonus coverage, people.

I don't know the entire list of candidates to be interviewed, but I have a pretty good idea about two of the names on the list. I have to maintain some confidences here, and I'm not entirely sure if those two names are actually interviewing, so I won't be spilling the names, at least not today. But I will say of the two names I know, I've had some face-to-face dealings with both as a reporter, and I like them both and think they're good at their jobs. I'd be comfortable with either. I don't have resumes, can't sit in on meetings and interviews, and I'm not as fully conversant as the committee (and nor should I be, really), but I think if either of the two names I'm aware of were chief, that would be pretty good. If there's someone out there better than those two, all the better for Fitchburg.

So, there you go.