EDITORIAL: Let’s Use the “America’s Got Talent” Format to Pick a Police Chief

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Editorial

 

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America's Got Talent. PHOTO: Promotional

Providence’s newly minted Mayor, Brett Smiley, has been running for Mayor for ten years.

He first ran in 2013.

During the course of the decade, he was Providence’s Chief Operating Officer, then-Governor Gina Raimondo’s chief of staff, and then her director of administration, and one would have thought he met numerous people in law enforcement.

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Then, he spent more than a year running for mayor and was functionally elected in September as he won the Democratic primary and had no opposition in the general election.

But, yet has no idea who he wants to be police chief. Hmm.

 

Charette Charade

Now, Smiley is implementing a charette charade, a bogus process that looks like it is public-facing, but in reality, is an absurd exercise in faux "transparency."

He has sent out an email to 600 people with a survey.  The city has nearly 190,000 residents. Forget that anyone who took a survey design class would laugh at the construct and wording, the questionnaire forgot to include “honesty, integrity or crime prevention.”

Clearly, time to hire smarter interns.

Oh, wait, Smiley has also promised as a part of this public process there would be a public meeting.

We think he is on to something.

 

AGT and a Golden Buzzer

Maybe instead of a boring meeting one night in the cafeteria of some Providence elementary school, we could have an America’s Got Talent format at PPAC.

Hiz honor, the City Council President, and the new Chief Judge, could be on the panelists.

Candidates who want to be police chief could come out and show their talent.

One might put on a display of marksmanship.

Another could Taser someone from the audience.

Maybe one could sing for his or her supper.

And, if someone wows the audience, then one of the panelists could jump up and hit the Golden Buzzer, giving that candidate the #1 shield and a pension.

 

Can We Be Serious

Imagine a President calling for this format to select the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

You won the election, you have had ten years, and you ran on your experience.

You announced a new Fire Chief lickety-split just days after taking office. Clearly, no public input needed there. 

Stop the "charette charade" and select the best police chief — and try considering adding integrity and honesty into your ethos.

Honestly, asking citizens for their input is great, but a bogus process to send in total 600 emails is an insult.

An editorial is the opinion of a publication — specifically, the ownership.

While based on facts and news reporting, it is an opinion intended to discuss critical community issues. Often, the opinion is written with the intention of positive change.

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