When he took over as patrol commander, sources say, Adkins trashed the project. After looking at the budget and seeing overtime pay going to the 15 officers involved in the program, Adkins decided it was an inequitable expenditure of funds. Sources say community policing was capably initiated in San Jose a decade ago, but that the philosophy was never institutionalized. The PERF report, which was obtained by Metro after the chief's office refused to release it, indicts the department for failing to institute a coherent community-policing plan. For years, Adkins' critics say he has dropped the ball while he was in a position to lead the department with new community-policing initiatives.
City manager leans toward hiring locals .
Lansdowne wins high marks from colleagues. Wiggsy Sivertsen, a faculty member at San Jose State who served on the panel that chose Lou Cobarruviaz, argues that the next chief must make the promotion of women a priority. Adkins, she adds, has been in a position that should have allowed him to influence the department in a more progressive direction. Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu observes that women have had much greater opportunity in the District Attorney's office than in the San Jose Police Department. But when Adkins met with police dispatcher Angela Cooper, who complained that Officer Lemar Dunson was harassing her, she felt as though Adkins was trying to intimidate her into not filing charges.