Mary Souza’s Newsletter
July 27, 2014
Who Is In Charge?
Dear Newsletter Readers,
We’ve been incredibly busy with family events so far this summer. Most of them have been wonderful, but there have been some important challenges as well. As you might know, our first grand child was born in early May and she has been a delight! Then our second son graduated from law school in June, which brought together a big family group for an extended stay at our house. Lots of fun. And now my husband has just finished radiation treatment for prostate cancer, which has been our biggest challenge.
We received his diagnosis on the same day our granddaughter was born. There actually seemed to be a spiritual symmetry in that balance; an appreciation for both the value and fragility of life at every stage. The great news is that they caught the cancer early and it was well contained. We did extensive research and chose a very high tech, targeted radiation treatment. Five days, less than an hour each day and it’s now done. Rick went to work each afternoon and has had no side effects, but the key for us is to promote the healthy healing of all the good tissues and minimize any scarring from the procedure. We were able to take a few days away from all technology, after his treatment, and came back to town rested and ready to go. So let’s get to the issues:
I attended the CdA City Council meeting last week, where the Mayor apologized profusely about the police shooting of the 2 year old black lab dog in a white van parked at Java down on east Sherman. The acting Chief of Police apologized as well. That was certainly an important message from the City, albeit a week after the incident. But what was most disconcerting at the meeting was the public testimony of a woman who said she “personally witnessed about 90% of what went on” during the police action. She said there were five officers present in the parking lot after the shooting, and that none of them tried to find the owner of the dog. He was apparently right inside the restaurant, having coffee, having left the window of his van partly open to provide ventilation for his dog. The woman was almost in tears when she recounted the scene: She said all five officers just got in their cars and left. Then she broke down for a moment and said, “When the man came out of the coffee shop, I had to be the one to tell him what happened. I should not have had to do that!”
If accurate, this shows a serious lack of leadership in our Police Dept., and could end up in a lawsuit costing city taxpayers a bundle.
This incident, and the way it was handled, has exacerbated the already serious chasm of trust between the public and our local law enforcement. There’s an investigation into what happened, of course, but the results will take time, and public sentiment is churning. Meanwhile, I was told an important tidbit of information which, oddly enough, I couldn’t find online in the Press, but was published by both the Spokesman Review and Boise’s Idaho Statesman. It’s this: The CdA Police Dept.’s Public Info Officer was quoted as saying the policeman who shot the dog did not have his body camera on. I’m told it is department policy that the cameras be used. This could be one more detail to raise suspicion and lower the trust of the public. We need leadership!
The timing on the shooting is noteworthy. It happened only two weeks before the final interviews to choose the new, permanent Chief of Police, which took place this past Tuesday. There are two finalists for the position, one from Utah and one from Arizona. (There were three but one pulled out, before the dog shooting.)
I’m on the selection committee for the new Chief, and the interviews were enlightening. Both men are very strong candidates with extensive leadership experience. Coeur d’Alene will do well with either one. I can’t tell you any of the details of the interviews because of confidentiality rules, but suffice it to say I think our city will greatly benefit from an outside perspective and new eyes on “the way we’ve always done things”.
The need for leadership in our Police Department is at a critical level. Our last Chief retired 10 months ago, and I’ve been reminded that CdA has not had a Police Chief from outside the local system for decades, with one fairly short term exception. A fresh view and someone who is a good manager and strong leader is long overdue. Leadership is a quality we all know we need in our community, but its definition is sometimes elusive. Here are a few quotes on leadership that I thought you might enjoy:
“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” –Ray Kroc
“Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.” –Mitt Romney
“When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” –Ronald Reagan
“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” –American Author Arnold Glasow
Our leadership needs are not just local. From a state perspective, I believe the legislature must take strong action to lead Idaho in a free market, independent direction on several crucial issues that will come up during the next session in January. We’ll talk about those soon. And because I’m the Republican nominee for State Senate in District 4, which is CdA, I’ve been listening. In between and tucked around our family events, I’ve been meeting with all kinds of community people. It’s been interesting to hear their ideas and I appreciate the input. There will be more talks throughout August and into the Fall.
So, dear Readers, you haven’t heard much from me lately but I’ve been active in the background, listening, researching and getting ready for the November 4th General Election. We have a busy road ahead and the process will be enlightening. Thanks again for all your support!
Have a great week– Mary
PS–Of course I had to include a photo of our sweet bundle –taken today!
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