We can hear the cluck-clucking already.
Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske is said to be about to be named by President Obama to be head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, AKA... the drug czar.
Despite Kerlikowske has pissed-off the left in Seattle for years: his cops have been accused of being trigger-happy, even racist, but no matter: he'll be cast soon as a "far-left loon" and his nomination will be a punching bag for right-wing left-Coast haters and knee jerk Obama scoffers like Billo Reilly, and Laura Ingraham.
Why? Because Kerlikowske has not gotten in the way of enlightened drug enforcement policies in Seattle, King County and Washington State based on "harm reduction," and treatment, with programs such as needle exchanges, and drug courts.
("Not getting in the way of" is not to be confused with initiating or creating these policies).
A 2003 city ballot initiative, overwhelmingly approved by voters, said enforcing the law against marijuana possession by adults should be the cop’s lowest priority. Kelikowske did not actively oppose the initiiative and has talored pot-enforcement laws accordingly.
Hempfest is an annual event where pot smokers advocate for legalization of God's Own Bush while puffing away in plan sight of Kerlikowske's men in blue.
But this will be ammo for such as Billo who love to wag his finger at Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle for being left-wing extremists; for Dori Monson, (KIRO m-f, 12-3p) whose daily, right-wing, anti-Seattle screeds are indistinguishable from those of right-wing out-of towners; and Laura Ingraham, (KVI m-f, 3-6p) who said last year: "What's in the water in Seattle...? There's something going on in the Pacific Northwest that I can't explain, that I don't think any of us can explain. ... they're so politically correct, gone so far around the bend, Bill, that even the Muslims think they're crazy."
O'Reilly, we're told, will do a segment this week or next decrying liberal Seattle with loopy footage from Hempfest.
Seattle has had success with this sort of drug policing, a criminal area which has had poor results with the old lock-em-up strategies. Drug arrests are down in the city and overall crime is at a 40-year low.
Chief Kerlikowske, 59, has been police chief since 2000, after serving as a deputy director for community policing at the Justice Department in the Clinton administration with now Attorney General Eric Holder.
after coming off the chief stamper screw up at the WTO Riots, chief kerlikowke was yet another outsider chosen that ticked off the internal candidates in the seattle police department.
right out the box we had the pioneer square riot -the death of a brave young man as police were ordered to stand down and observe- a frustrated seattle police union had issues with its own chief. robert jamison gives a b- to kerlikoski.
robert jamison sums it up best for me when i think of chief kerlikowske.
"...or all the good Kerlikowske has done in nearly a decade -- making sure officers are held accountable, breathing life into a CSI unit, solidifying a less lethal program with Tasers and bean-bag guns -- his record is marred by what happened eight years ago under his watch.
A young man, Kris Kime, was killed in a Pioneer Square melee during Mardi Gras as uniformed officers stood close by, watching and doing nothing. Such police paralysis was inexcusable.
"Delay in the use of force, and the hesitation to accept responsibility for its employment when the situation clearly demands it, will always be interpreted as weakness," the late Ken Saucier, head of the police officers union, vented to me in 2001 as he quoted from the Marine Small Wars Manual.
He added: "It's easy to see how this passage applies to not only Mardi Gras, but to police work in general. If you don't establish and maintain control from the start, you will be fighting an uphill battle. It's amazing how those in charge fail to make this simple connection."
To Kerlikowske's credit, there was never a repeat. Chalk it up to lessons learned. But the chief hasn't lived down Mardi Gras -- officers still bring it up.
Kerlikowske's tenure was peppered with shows of instinctive heroics, like the time he saw a woman with needle tracks up and down her arm on the ground. He gave her CPR with little regard for his own health.
Another time he sprang to action, chasing a suspect near the Moore Theater. When I pressed him about that episode, he deflected the spotlight and went into how to deal with suspects holding sharp objects."
Posted by: Puget Sound | February 16, 2009 at 07:32 AM
I could not care less about his being off to DC to serve teh One.
The real concern is about who it is that Mayor Puffy picks to replace Kerlikowski.
Will we, yet again, pick another outsider that does not know Seattle and its crime issues to lead our police? Maybe this time we can get somebody that knows Seattle, our crooks and where they hide, congregate and caper.
Will we get the best person for the job, or will it be an Asian, woman or some other minority as a token of our love for "diversity"? Will get an ass kicking crime fighter that is not in to the politics of mayoral ass kissing?
That scank in the picture needs to control her munchy intake while/after toking. Those things are going to explode.
On a side note, an adult should be allowed to have up to ten 3 finger lids of bud for personal consumption. With that, I will invest in a Tweenky and Ding-Dong distributorship.
Posted by: chucks | February 16, 2009 at 08:26 AM
Chucks! What am I going to do with you??? First you make me laugh out loud at the comment about those ugly boobs, but then I need to slap you upside the head for making a comment about picking a minority to be Chief of Police! What if a minority person turned out to be a great Chief?? I know what you meant--pick them for their ability, not their skin color--but if I was a casual reader of this blog, I would not know that. The boob comment gets you off the hook, this time. That woman will be kicking them out of the way by the time she is 40...
Posted by: sparky | February 16, 2009 at 08:37 AM
Lets make the position a dual one and give it to Ron and Don.
Well, at least it would get them off the air.
Posted by: Ryder | February 16, 2009 at 08:50 AM
I only sale rv's to anyone the law allows...
Posted by: cracker rv sales | February 16, 2009 at 08:56 AM
i was down in fed way when they brought in a female police chief. she was great. she moved on to spokane about 3 years ago.
Posted by: Puget Sound | February 16, 2009 at 09:04 AM
chucks, what's with the "we?" You don't live in Seattle.
I heard this several days ago and wondered why Kerlikowski. Now I know. He has history with Holder.
Perhaps Kerlikowski can bring some Seattle common sense back to DC and change the rigid and wrong-headed way we've dealt with drugs in this country. I hope so.
But, I don't believe it. He strikes me as a man who goes along to get along. I hope I'm wrong.
Anybody here see Traffic?
Posted by: joanie | February 16, 2009 at 11:08 AM
"....goes along to get along"
Exactly!!
I don't care if the new chief is a black hispanic from Guatamala with Asian ancesters naturalized citizen as long as he/she is the best available crime fighter that knows Seattles crooks and how to control them. The best!
Joanie, my sister, brothers, nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews all live in Seattle.
Their safety is of the utmost concern to me.
Hell, we piss each other off on a regular basis but I don't want you getting thumped by some crack head or tweeker either, or being mugged by some lame assed gang banger.
Posted by: chucks | February 16, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I don't see anything wrong with that girl in the photo, looks perfectly normal to me.
Posted by: Brian | February 16, 2009 at 03:42 PM
Putz "Another time he sprang to action, chasing a suspect near the Moore Theater."
Must have been befor his pistol was stolen.
Was there a law suit by the family of the fellow killed in Pioneer Square over police inaction? If not there should have been.
Posted by: Habu | February 16, 2009 at 05:26 PM
He was once referred to as Girly-kowskie after his lack of action at the Battle in Seattle - WTF protest in 1999 and then after the beating death of Kris Kime.
A mediocre pick in my book.
Posted by: KS | February 16, 2009 at 08:25 PM
"i was down in fed way when they brought in a female police chief. she was great. she moved on to spokane about 3 years ago."
Spot on - Puts, she was good. I was working in Fed Way then and was impressed and others on the force thought she was effective. Not surprised she moved on to a bigger city.
Posted by: KS | February 16, 2009 at 08:28 PM
Under Kerlikowske SPD did its two biggest sex stings ever in history. There was the big Craigslist sting of '06 (107 arrests) and the Rick's strip raid of '08.
If there is another Monica, Larry Craig, Mark Foley, or Barney Frank lurking about, Chief K will have the skills and experience to handle it! Obama knew that if such a situation arose, he could not afford to blow it, and that's the real reason he brought in Chief K.
Woody Held Statistics
Posted by: woody held | February 17, 2009 at 09:34 AM
Wait until you see what the mayor does hiring a new police chief....
He will pay him MORE than Girly Kowski, cause they need to pay more to get a better chief....
Remember late last year that Mayor 5 penny wanted to give big raises to the Police Chief and a few others... and the city council says no way....
In regards to the Hemp Bitch toking. I don't condone it and it should be illegal period. I know how to get them to stop smoking it. Arrest them and part of their treatment is to smoke some of that shit continually for about 2 hours and see if they like it then.
Stupid bastards.
Posted by: Seattle Taxpayer | February 19, 2009 at 02:47 AM
hey seattle tax payer,
they people ae saying loud and clear that they want marijuana sales to be taxed and regulated just like alcohol.
did you hear the people when they legalized medical marijuana?
it passed more resoundingly than any other thing we have ever voted on!
Posted by: Darral Good | August 29, 2009 at 12:12 PM