Presumed incoming Charlottesville Police Chief, Dr. RaShall Brackney, has had a rough ride.
She enters the community on the heels of former Chief Al Thomas, who was relieved of his duties following Charlottesville’s August 12 riots and ensuing cover-up allegations.
Dr. Brackney arrives with career baggage that has raised questions about her qualifications for helming the Charlottesville Police Department.
She also has been the subject of City Council and public skepticism regarding the protocol of her selection, which was administered by City Manager Maurice Jones.
And finally, just weeks after her announced hire, RaShall Brackney’s employer, biggest booster, and political protector, City Manager Jones, recently was “non-renewed” by his own City Council.
So, where does that leave Dr. Brackney, who is scheduled to assume the position on June 18?
Presently, nowhere.
A May 22 Schilling Show open records request of City Government for “a copy of the new Police Chief’s contract” was met with stonewalling, silence, and finally a denial—received on May 29—from Galloway Beck, Charlottesville’s Director of Human Resources.
While the denial letter incorrectly identified the requested document, Mr. Beck did imply that there was no signed contract with Ms. Brackney and also that “contract negotiations are still on-going.”
It remains to be seen if Dr. RaShall Brackney will indeed make history as Charlottesville’s first black female police chief. Given the circumstances surrounding her arrival, she may well say “no deal” leaving the “dotted line” blank and Charlottesville’s longsuffering Police Department again without leadership.
I wonder if this lady really knew what she was signing up for? I have had the unfortunate experience of accepting a job from one management team only to end up working for a completely different one. It was one of the more unpleasant work experiences in my life. Personally, I believe police officers should treat every citizen with respect and dignity. When there is distrust, there should be dialog between police management and the community. Police officers are not social workers and babysitters. If you go into police work trying to please the very people you are arresting, you have embarked on a hopeless mission. Be fair but firm is the best they can do.
Al, with all due respect, police officers have always been babysitters and social workers. In today’s policing, chiefs love to trumpet the “initiative for community policing.” There was always community policing, it was called a “foot beat.” Good cops always knew their beat, the people on it, many of their problems, etc. There are myriad problems in today’s society that cause disrespect on both sides and–believe it or not–cops in the “old days” often pleased the people they arrested. I reckon it was a simpler time.
Now, at the risk of sounding like an old fart, I see a major problem in the transience of society. No one is rooted anymore. It is hard to get to know employees, neighbors and others when people are moving around so much. Cops are no longer connected to the neighborhood like they were years ago.
As for Brackney, for any of her shortcomings, I suspect she is savvy enough to know what she signed up (well, not exactly “signed”) for. However, think about this: you interview for a job as a VP somewhere; the Exec VP who backed you and touted you and who helped move you to be selected is suddenly axed before you have even signed your employment agreement. What to do?
Really, this could be nothing but–based on the stonewalling of city incompetents–could mean she is getting cold feet.
I hopee she won’t stay and allow this warped place to beat her uu.She seems very intelligent and savvy for “THE VILLE”
Excellent points. I agree with cops that know the people they are policing. Like you said it was a much simpler time. Everyone regardless of race now wants to be treated kindly and gently after knowingly or uncaringly committing violations. I have to wonder tho if this lady really examined the events leading up to 8/12/17? I suspect she bought into the media narrative and didn’t bother to analyze the role of the city council in what happened. I have a pretty good idea who her main recruiters were.
PS – Above post meant for Forbes, my bad.
Is this person starting on the 18th? Has a contract been signed? Any news?
Forbes, I inquired again on June 7. Here’s the (non)reply I received from the Charlottesville Department of Disinformation on June 11:
I subsequently requested a copy of the “unsigned” contract and am awaiting a reply two days later.
Rob, rest assured the irony is not lost on me…
People who work for organs that are “the fourth estate,” Constitutionally-protected, with special rights outlined in law, spend many years being that “check” on government. Then they decide to go to work for that same government to stonewall and obfuscate and help close the eyes of the public to the tawdry goings-on in government. Happy to see Mr. Wheeler finally found his way to the teat of the taxpayers.
I expect she will be on the job until August 13th, when we find she has used the same “social justice” mentality as the last chief and we have a repeat of august 12th again.
They should do like they did for the kkk rally. Let them come in, say their piece, and escort them out while keeping the sides seperate. THEN IT’S OVER!!
I don’t hear ANY of these butthurt social justice warriors crying over how they were emotionally damaged over the kkk rally. EVERY cause these days references “The violence of Aug. 12th” as their crutch for their cause. GET OVER IT!!
I agree, bob. I’m sure the people who chose the new chief never asked her opinion of how August 12 was handled, and her response will be a complete surprise! And the moon is made of green cheese.
Speaking of moons, wasn’t there a strawberry moon in some places a short time ago? You missed the point Ken. Of course she knew about and comes in with the media generated social justice interpretation of what happened. Here’s the thing for you and your social justice friends. You do NOT have to right to disrupt and cause an approved event regardless of how despicable you may find the group to be. That was Bob’s point I believe. Had the original permit been honored and had that police chief been allowed to carry on with the plan they had worked on, there would have been no effing tragedy. Yet those incompetent radicals on the city council sail merrily on their way with hardly a hint of stormy weather. I don’t know who to blame for the tiki torch even Friday other than the thugs that were imported here out of some kind of desperation by Kessler. I maintain that a competent LE organization would have been monitoring them and would have sniffed it out. Of course, there were thugs on the other side that needed monitoring also. Bob is wrong about blaming the police chief. This is all on the left wing council that was aided and abetted by the former governor in Richmond. I feel for that chief.
As they say in the military, it’s FUBAR in charlottesville. I just read a blurb in the Daily Progressive today that UVA has received a small grant to help teach UVA students how to become more active in local social issues. They should just go ahead and offer a course titled SJW101.
“cause an approved event to be shut down regardless…”
Al, my political friends are people who protest peacefully. There is a time for principled disruption, for taking a stand by breaking the law and then willingly taking the legal punishment for it. But what the Left has made a habit of in recent years is self-indulgent, counter-productive, and pernicious.
Bob’s clumsy post didn’t imply that the new chief doesn’t have an opinion on August 12, but that the city didn’t know her views when it hired her. Which is just plain silly.
I’m glad to see you acknowledge that Kessler and company were to blame for the shameful tiki torch parade, but you forget they also didn’t stick with the terms of their agreement the next day, but came to the park early, which is what caused the city to change their own plans. The “incompetent radicals on the city council” beat or run anyone over. A sad bunch of angry losers on your side of the political fence staged an event that resulted in three deaths. City Council did not force them to hold that event. For you to admit that would not be to a) accept personal responsibility which you do not have or b) absolve antifa for their own misdeeds.
The “incompetent radicals on the city council” _didn’t_ beat or run anyone over.
Why would we assume the City Council solicited Brackney’s opinion on the crisis from last August? You are placing a lot of credit with Cville’s hiring brain(less) trust.
Because we’re not stupid.
Ken, they attempted to move the event at the last minute. But you know this. The goal for an approved event like this should be to get these people in and out ASAP with a strong police presence to keep them under control. Yes, that radical city council was part of the reason 3 people lost their lives. One can also argue that it’s either misdirection of a lie to blame crash of a helo as a result of mechanical failure on the rally. That helo was going down somewhere eventually. Yet those dreaded statues still stand tall. After all this anguish and the tragic deaths, all we have are renamed parks. A 15 year old activist student also became instantly famous with a promising career in activism by jumpstarting the crusade. It all could have been avoided. We can play the blame game until hell freezes over but nothing happens in a vacuum. Cause and effect, welcome to earth, 3rd rock from the sun.
Al, I take your point about the helicopter crash, but not about trying to move the rally, which was a good idea. If Kessler had stuck to his agreement, things may have played out differently, with relatively little contact between the groups and no James Alex Fields enraged that he didn’t get a chance to protest. Yes the effort to move the statues failed, but since when does failing at something mean it was wrong to try?