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Denver Post
Police employee group will pose hurdle for mayor
Sunday, July 27, 2003 - Of all the city employee organizations Mayor John Hickenlooper must learn to deal with, the Police Protective Association is the largest, most cohesive and most vocal.
And the PPA is capable of giving the rookie mayor a big headache early on - especially as it defends the police officer who shot and killed mentally disabled teenager Paul Childs this month. "The PPA wields a considerable amount of influence in Denver city politics," said Joe Sandoval, professor and chairman of the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at Metro State College. Because police officers play a vital role in the community, they frequently become a lightning rod for controversy. Learning how to deal with the PPA will become crucial for Hickenlooper, Sandoval said. "I will continue to emphasize that they are partners," Hickenlooper said Friday as he completed his first week as mayor. "Any improvements in the Police Department are not going to be an imposition of our will but rather a (partnership) with the police to help us implement change." Former Mayor Wellington Webb called the PPA a "necessary evil," saying employees have the right to form organizations, even though they can be at odds with the greater good of the city. Webb wanted his police chief to have more authority over the officers than the PPA was willing to give up. But after 12 years, he said the two sides were able to compromise, primarily over disciplining officers. PPA president Mike Mosco said the group is very involved with the community. For example, he cited the approval of a Discipline Review Board that brings civilian input into police discipline matters, helping raise money for a new radio system and its role in raising money for children's playgrounds. Founded in 1905, the PPA now represents 98 percent of the 1,450-member Denver Police Department, from officers walking a beat to Chief Gerry Whitman. The city has nearly 14,000 workers. Founded as a "fraternal and service-oriented organization," the police association has evolved into a advocacy group for members, providing legal defense for officers in trouble, negotiating with the city for pay and benefits and publicly voicing concerns of its members. Ed Thomas has a unique perspective on the PPA, having served as a police officer and a city councilman. He commends the union for its fervent representation of members but adds that it doesn't always benefit city residents. "They've been very successful, but it hasn't necessarily been in the best interest of taxpayers," he said. "Advocacy groups are not necessarily interested in the common good." Thomas pointed to the 1996 Jeffrey Truax shooting in which two off-duty officers fired 25 shots, killing a man driving away from a nightclub. Thomas and others demanded that officers be required to provide their own liability insurance when working off duty. The PPA turned out in droves to defeat the measure. The city later lost a lawsuit and was required to pay out more than $500,000 for the actions of two officers, who were employed by a nightclub at the time of the shooting. In the most recent incident, officer James Turney shot and killed Paul Childs, a 15-year-old mentally disabled youth who was brandishing a knife in his home. The Police Department suspended Turney with pay while community activists demanded that he never return to the streets. But the PPA quickly came to his defense and has remained solidly behind him. Other PPAs have joined in, such as one in Minneapolis, which has offered assistance for Turney's defense. "It has the potential for political impact," Sandoval said of the case. "It's an opportunity for the mayor and City Council and other officials to take a fresh look at how police operate in the city and make some modifications." Attorney Joe Mellon says police shootings are hard for people to understand. "If a cop (knows) his life is threatened, such as a kid lunging at him with a knife, they're trained to kill," he said. "You don't look at intent or motivation but the exigency of the moment. However, you also ask, 'Did the cop willfully create the need to kill this guy?"' Sometimes the PPA's mission can bring it into conflict with the city. Hickenlooper, an entrepreneur from the private sector, said he looks forward to talks with the PPA. "I met with them a couple of times during the campaign and haven't had time to talk to them since, but I'm looking forward to sitting down with them and the entire Police Department and doing what I've been doing with all the city government agencies - which is to listen and hear their concerns and respond to them in a productive way," Hickenlooper said. Former City Council member Susan Casey studied the Police Department and the PPA three years ago and leveled a number of criticisms against, also making many recommendations. Some of them were followed, some were ignored. "What surprised me was that the leadership of the union made it quite clear that their role was solely around taking care of their membership," she said. "They never showed any interest in broader issues affecting the city." In the past, the union has spoken out on issues related to police work. Former PPA president Alex Woods in 1996 criticized the courts for being too lenient toward criminals and later against Webb's proposal to give drug addicts clean needles in exchange for used ones. In February 1996, the association split ranks, with 173 officers joining the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 41. The central issue was dissatisfaction with contract negotiations, Mosco said. Lodge 41 president Richard Blea said roughly 200 officers still belong, some of them also members of the PPA. Black officers formed their own organization in the late 1980s. "No politician wants to be soft on crime," Metro State's Sandoval said. "But politicians, especially mayors, are dependent upon the police for their protection - their bodyguards, escorts. ... It's a very complex relationship." Denver Post staff writer Karen Crummy contributed to this report.
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