The police division's leadership has been criticized as unresponsive and uncaring. Mayor Charlie Luken and members of council have complained about their inability to hire a police chief from outside the ranks because of a provision in the city charter. Yet Police Chief Thomas Streicher has been praised by the mayor and other civic leaders for his calm professionalism during the crisis. It was Chief Streicher who was named acting safety director when Kent Ryan stepped down on Friday. Chief Streicher's performance has been exemplary, but his composure can not cover up all the problems that exist in his 1000-member division.
Many officers are bitter that they are being blamed for the riot.
At a news conference Friday, Keith Fangman, pugnacious president of the Fraternal Order of Police, angrily denounced the mayor for saying that too many African-American men have been killed by the police in recent years. Mr. Fangman is correct that the deaths have been wrongly portrayed as 15 murders, when most were justified uses of force by officers who were protecting themselves or others from attack. But it is simplistic to dismiss these deaths as unfortunate and unavoidable aspects of police work. The police must come to understand the frustrations and fears that these incidents engender in the communities it patrols. The city must do more to raise the officer awareness.