San Jose’s newly named police auditor resigned this evening following community reaction to the disclosure that his brother is a San Jose police officer.
Chris Constantin was appointed to the $169,000-a-year post last week in a closed session meeting of the San Jose City Council.
He succeeded Barbara Attard, whose contract was not renewed after she sought expanded powers to review investigations into complaints of police misconduct.
Perhaps my comment #3 was premature. I just read the Murky News editorial, which claimed that Mr. Constantin failed to note on his application that his brother was an SJPD officer. It would seem that he is more at fault than I had originally believed.
Gil, DT has been the apple of every mayor and council’s eye since The McEnery Era. And it still ain’t right, after a couple or three $BILLION, which used to be a lot of dinero, but is just chump change in the Obama Era.
Reed has gone completely wacko.
The stories of the depression must be true.
We understand he has been seen dancing around the compound saying “Hunting the Snark, I must, I must, Hunting the Snark, I must, I must”
David Pandori will become the new police auditor.
Check out our tribute to Dave on the Lantern.
He also can replace Fred Rogers.
“It is a beautiful day in San Jose, I have always to have nice police, just like you. Let’s enjoy the beautiful day in San Jose, won’t you all be my neighbor!”
#6-JMO,
Yes, he made a choice to deceive everyone all by himself. He is also considering “reapplying” for the IPA job. He’s not as integrity ridden as he is portraying himself.
Reed knows how helpful a brother can be in navigating the slippery pole into high office. His own brother-in-law was one of the top two Merc editors for many years while Reed was cutting his way to the top, including the city and the county planning commissions.
It beggars belief that Reed didn’t know the value of brotherhood.
It’s only just now that the editorial page editor discovers Reed’s true face, but the Merc has covered up its own role in the original brothers’ act that put Reed into citywide prominence.
So the Merc cannot claim to be shocked because they are not shocked by Reed’s aid by his own brother-in-law. What a curious newspaper—pointing a finger here and there but never owning up to their own nonfeasance.
Well, at least Mr. Constantin knows the right thing to do…even if Chuck and the council remain clueless. And to think, we elected these folks!!!! Where’s the sunshine, Chuck????
I feel for Chris Constantin.
What gives me the creeps is, what is next. Some Genius in the satinless steel building has this GREAT PLAN for us, Step back and see what we have at the moment. one tenant at 88, maybe two, all the resturants are working just to keep the doors open. I’ve had this feeling several time before in the last 30 years. Fasten your safety belts Folks I can feel the down hill pull comming and WHAT! NO BRAKES?
PO you wrote a cute article about our East Side. I’d like to give you a tour of Heller Way where folks still live in conditions that are not normal. three and four families in one house. Sure these are hard times, but when we were rolling in it sub human conditions existed even then. I know I recorded those times.
This IPA thing is but the tip of the Iceburg, I’m afraid. We’re Hell bent on soaking every cent we have left in our tin cup in the downtown core.
Everyone is in their place Right? Wrong!!
I think there are enough pissed off folks in this Village to make that difference. We just survived 8 years of this stuff.
The character dinounceciations of Hispanic in the Down Town Core are but a diversion of what is going to happen in the not too distant months to come, I fear.
Accountability. The RDA has a word to discribe it. “BLIGHT”!
The Village Black Smith
In lived in SF in the 90’s and we went from an boob of a mayor in the form of Frank Jordan to a smooth operating sleaze in Willie Brown.
In SJ we went from the sleazy Ron Gonzalez to the stumble bum Chuck Reed.
Given the choice, I prefer the Brown and Gonzalez type as long as they’re not pocketing money. At least they know how to run things.
In my industry Reed would not last a month as a CEO.
How about we really depoliticize this position and take all politics out of it? That would mean the huffing and puffing by the Labor bloc on the Council would stay out of it and advocate for a truly independent, non-political position. I know it won’t happen, just like nobody will be dusting Nora’s memo for Cindy’s fingerprints.
I can wish, though.
Let’s see if this one gets up on the site:
Let me get this straight, Constantin omitted the fact that his brother is SJPD and then Mayor Reed pretended not to know about it in order to get a pro-cop person into the IPA?
Ooops. Sounds like a career ender for Mayor Sunshine, especially given the amount of heat that is coming down on the SJPD and City around abuse, arbitrary arrest, and racial profiling.
“San Jose council members want to remove Reed from leading search for new police auditor”
By Sean Webby
http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_12194114
I thought it was interesting that they were depoliticizing the “Independent” Police Auditor by appointing a city auditor (and political climber) to the job.
The position was created because of community action and was originally quite adversarial in pushing the police to investigate their own (rather than protect their own at all costs and deal with problems in house.)
Making the police auditor into an establishment position with an annointed rising start politician might make sense to some, but a little controversy can be a good thing. Our legal system is set up as an adversarial meeting of two sides who argue points and end up arriving at something approaching justice.
The police have hard jobs and no shortage of critics, but both the DA and police, left to their own devices, would run a secretive, authoritarian system where they protect the public interest using whatever means they see fit and answer only theoretically to the people the police and govern with the rule of law they enforce. Asking for a copy of a report and being told its privileged or requires exhorbidant fees, and other routine means were often used to keep the public business in the hands of a private elite (the professionals).
I don’t know…maybe we could have a good law enforcement system locally without having a critic on the payroll. But are people really engaged constructively enough to be able to participate, or do they just want to criticize and exact petty revenge when they see a scandal emerge from the department? I’m afraid a professional, but rabble-rousing independent auditor under our current system is probably the best choice.
Mr. Constantin was not. How about someone from the public defenders office instead of the DA, or someone whose only a few years out of law school but has proven their commitment to idealism over profit with pro bono work or such?
Rick Doyle should not be the head of the new selection committee. Make it Debra Figone.
But why even have a new selection committee? The Murky News reported yesterday that the city already paid $30k+ to a consultant, who located 57 applicants. There must have been a short list. Now they are talking about a new nationwide search. At another $30k+?? STOP THE FISCAL BLEEDING YOU MORONS!!! Select whoever was #2 out of the 57 applicants located the first time, after a full vetting. If she/he is now unavailable, go to #3, #4…until someone takes the job.
Maybe all 56 others have withdrawn now that they see what a bunch of stumblebums our mayor and council are.
JMO, #13
Wonderful suggestion, going down the list of candidates previously offered by a consultant!
An even better suggestion is: As a much caring SJ citizen, SJ historian, and long trusted attorney, someone who tells it like it is, JMO offers to accept the position of IPA.
Problem solved!!
PGP of Santa Cruz (IPO, an independent political observer).
Was it not the Selection Committe that pick all the canidates. Who did the research.
I’ve worked and played in the down town all of my life. In the early 50’s played touch football with my pals in Cesar Chavez park. Delivered papers to the Hotels in what is now the down town core.Had the good fortune to have started the first Mexican owned foundry and Gallery in San Jose’s History. The HP pavilion was built around us. It’s been a good life and I love our Village.
However at times like this I lose my patience with the obious. Why does politics have to be so devisive. Why can’t we play nice. I cannot tolerate a heavy handed type of administration. Have’nt we had enough the past years. It seems to have turned when the RDA became a force. Yes I love our Arena and many other things that have become a big part of our Village. But I saw this comming when they started to bring in the bars and night clubs 20 years ago.
I fear for my children in San Jose as I write this morning. That should not be happening in my thoughts this day or any other day. I recall in the third grade I was sent to the principal’s office for speaking a few words in spanish to my friend Billy Ecobedo. They made me sit facing the corner and they placed a pointed hat on my head that read dunce. I got thru that only because My Dear Mother explaned to me why people do that to us. When I was old enough to fight I joined the Navy. When I learned to work, I created produts to serve mankind. Recently my nephew was assulted by the police. I directed my brother to Sam Licardo. My brother has only kind things to say about Sam. Sam understands, why because I can feel it as I write this post.
So I can say this today as my son and I go to our foundry to create the future. Mister Mayor City Council RDA, Can we be a little more light handed. We seemed to have lost the focus of what makes a Village great. It’s People. US.
The Village Black Smith
Here we go again! The City of San Jose’s public intoxication task force walking out is a clear sign there were not enough players in the huddle in bring in the guys with the PHDs to show the obious.
What did we learn from the Little Saigon fiasco?
Rather than some Gi Forum guy setting up a hunger strike at City Hall, and disrupting our city government, Is it possible to have a class action suit of the 4000 arrests that have occured? Some one has the answer.
Three guys in the huddle don’t make a football team.
This present political administration could save the Merc. It seems like every day there is some head lines that get us the inside stuff at City Hall. Now, I can’t wait to get a copy at the Athletic club every day. I am seriously concidering having it delivered to my door every morning if one of our neighbor kids could deliver it. My second paper route was Palm Haven Park. I delivered 225 papers every morning on my makeshift bike, rain or shine before school. The irony is the Merc. is once again the same size as it was way back then, early 50’s. How about that Merc. Do a pilot program in the neighborhoods. I canceled my subscription when you went to the drive by drivers, and stopped giving local kids the opportunity to be a part of our Village net working. It’s time to get back in touch with our youths. I’d personally go out and solicit starts in my neighborhood, for the kids.
Today is the opening day of California Trout Fishing, Yippie! My Son Paul and I are taking my Grand Son Zeke Fishing at Park way lakes. Try it you’ll like it! It is time to take our Village back from those that would divide US.
The Village Black Smith