UPDATED at 6pm.
Councilwoman Nora Campos fired off a letter to Mayor Chuck Reed this morning blaming him for furthering the distrust between the community and the San Jose Police Department. Campos points out that the mayor never disclosed the fact that Chris Constantin, the newly appointed Independent Police Auditor, has a brother who is a homicide detective in the police department. “Mayor Reed, that fact that this material piece of information was not disclosed makes me question the integrity of the hiring process,” Campos says in the letter. She goes on to say: “During the hiring process, you informed me that anyone with potential conflicts of interest or the potential to draw negative publicity would be immediately disqualified.” The Mayor’s office told the Mercury News this weekend that the council had been informed that Constantin had a brother on the San Jose Police Force. Not true, according to Campos staffers. Meanwhile, community leaders are calling on Constantin, who works in the city auditor’s office, to resign, citing the potential conflict of interest. Constantin apparently left work for the day today, according to the auditor’s office.
UPDATE:In response to Campos, the Mayor has put out a memo of his own, asking, among other things, that the council allow the public to see council votes, as well as other discussion and materials presented at the closed-door meeting when the group signed off on hiring Constantin. It was at this secret meeting that the mayor says he told his colleagues about Constantin’s brother.
If the Council approved Constantin without knowing this guy had a brother on the force here in SJ, then I say BRAVO to Nora for brining it up. If I were in her situation and I voted on someone I wasn’t given all the 411 on, I’d be raising hell too.
Constantin should step down, immediately. He seems to be an honorable guy so I will be surprised if he does not.
That said, WHAT A BUNCH OF BONEHEADS!!!!
Not only did the city council add to the distrust that already exists over the IPA, these rocket scientists also possibly hurt the reputation of a young man who, by all accounts, is a dedicated public servant. Good going, city council!
As for councilwoman Campos, give me a break! It’s unfair for her to lay the blame on others. As a Councilmember she had the obligation as well as the opportunity to do the necessary due diligence before she voted in favor of the appointment. Common sense says this would include asking “Do you have any relatives on the police force?”
As my 12-year old might say: “Well DUH!”
Boy, there’s a big “he said/she said”. Did Chuck inform the council or not about Constantin’s brother being on SJPD? Film @ 11:00???
Those of you calling for the resignations of Constantin are prejudice malcontents. This is the United States of America! A place where you are not judged by your race, creed, color, religion or by who your family members are.
I don’t know if Constantin will make a good IPA or not. I do know that politics within a family are often at opposites. For instance my brother and I couldn’t be more opposite. Our political views and parties are different. If we weren’t brothers I probably wouldn’t talk to him.
Those of you judging Constantin on this issue should check yourselves on your own integrity and prejudices.
Reader (#2),
I had to laugh at your comparison of a councilwoman to your twelve-year old.
Those of you who wanted Constantin to resign just got their wish, if the Merc is to be believed:
http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12186590
“I’m putting the honor and integrity of San Jose ahead of myself,’’ Constantin said.
It raises the question of why, in the “Capitol of Silicon Valley” San Jose’s leadership did not know Constantin had a brother on the police force. Mayor Reed or any City Council member (or any City staff member) should have easily been able to find
out within minutes on a computer.
All the more reason San Jose’s citizens must demand to take their city back from corruption NOW…
>> #6 “All the more reason San Jose’s citizens must demand to take their city back from corruption NOW…”
Don’t forget the words of Napolean Bonaparte: “Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence.”
5 – It is funny, but it’s also kind of insulting to the twelve-year old.
JMO,
Constantin is far from a hero. If you read the Merc article carefully, it says Constantin is considering reapplying for the IPA job. Hello, so where is his integrity, and bravery? Why bother to resign at all? And why didn’t HE tell the Council, and the citizen panel about his brother when they interviewed him?
If he truly put the needs of the City and his community first, he never would have applied in the first place. He’s an auditor and knows full well what the importance of neutrality, and independence means, especially in the job of IPA. I believe he resigned under pressure from every one around him and for no other reason. Sorry but in my eyes, he’s a politician all they way!
“The city will now reopen the search for a new auditor, and Constantin left open the possibility that he may reapply for the job.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12186590
I guess Raj went from being Constantin’s ardent supporter to being his cheerleader for resigning. Hum..
Kathleen wrote @ #12:“He’s an auditor and knows full well what the importance of neutrality, and independence means, especially in the job of IPA.”
Uh, apparently he does not know, Kathleen. It’s difficult for me to accept that he just forgot his brother is an SJ cop. And if he has any training at all in the concept of independent judgment, he HAD TO KNOW that this was a potential conflict, and he failed to disclose it anyway. And if he truly did not see the potential problem, he’s woefully unqualified for the job.
Those who have hoisted him as a paragon of integrity seem to be sadly mistaken.
#6—but they DID know, albeit belatedly, and tried to hide it from the public. A compelling reason that we need a good newspapaer to uncover government obfuscation and mendacity. Nixonism returns to politics…or maybe it never really left.
#9—too true
and I spoke to soon…