Another SPD Accountability Fail

Seattle police detective Leslie Smith let several rape cases languish because she was “overworked.” As a result, an accused child rapist was allowed to stay on the streets. Ms. Smith has not been fired for incompetence but was instead promoted. Meanwhile, her supervisor and the union are making excuses for her:

Capt. Deanna Nollette said [Detective Smith’s] unsolved cases were reassigned to other detectives in January. “If I were going to fault the detective for anything, I think it would be for having unrealistic expectations of herself,” said Nollette, who now heads the unit where Smith was assigned. “I think, frankly, we mishandled our detective. “If there was any failing, it would be on the part of the supervision that put the detective in this position.”

Read the Seattle Post-Intelligencer story here.

Deanna Nollette
Source: Seattle.gov

Sorry, Capt. Nollette, but that doesn’t cut it. Having “unrealistic expectations” imposed on you by yourself or others doesn’t let you off the hook for not protecting the public. Especially where a child is concerned. Being a cop is about using good judgment, thinking on your feet, and getting your priorities straight. Both Detective Smith and her supervisors should be getting disciplined for this, but it’s looking like nobody will be punished for these screw ups. Unless you count the kids who got raped and their families.

–David Preston

 

 

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7 Responses to Another SPD Accountability Fail

  1. Julianne Farmer says:

    Agreed. My first reaction when this came out was to wonder if she did not submit the cases beacause of the probable cause bar set by the feds. Was there someone above her saying ” Sorry, we can’t help you”. The original publicity sounded like the cases were completed. In any case it parallels the loss of emphasis on public safety we see in our situation. The promotion signals this to me also- we are going to crucify you publicly, but privately cover your ass in exchange for not blowing the situation up.
    One of the many reasons I haven’t written to local press about Dora is that somehow, our May 2 police report was “lost”. It was re-filed by the local PO who discovered it around the 23rd. She refiled the whole deal. I don’t want to get any of these officers in trouble for BS from City Hall.

  2. DBP says:

    And did you notice what office they promoted Det. Smith into? The Office of Professional Accountability! [smirk]

    Look, I don’t think she’s a villain, but at some point she should have said, “I can’t handle this workload,” and either gotten it straightened out with the boss or quit. These weren’t parking violations that weren’t being attended to. This was rape.

  3. Julianne Farmer says:

    Agreed. I think she was trying to submit them and being told no. It all makes the SPD look really bad.
    The reason I keep belaboring it is we have seen P Holmes throw them under the bus by loosing our police report. They expect us to go nuts and make it about the police. I think there is a severe cold war going on.
    In my opinion the “crime” stats are down because the arrest rates are down. Now we are invited to be interviewed by Jennifer Burridge again. Yeah, a meeting! I am sick of social engineering.

  4. rats in a cage says:

    Thanks for this.

  5. Pat Ehrman says:

    Perhaps she was to busy training for and competing in MMA?
    QGT

  6. Tina Little says:

    SAU, SPD Detective Leslie Smith needs to be in prison for her neglect over a long period of time. Up to her move to OPA in 2014.
    The truth of her failure to protect and correctly investigate is indefensible.

  7. Tina Little says:

    SAU, SPD Detective Leslie Smith needs to be in prison for her neglect over a long period of time. Up to her move to OPA in 2014.
    The truth of her failure to protect and correctly investigate is indefensible.

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