Dallas and its ex-Police Chief

I've been quiet so far about the Police Chief's firing but since reading more I believe the Dallas City Manager gave Bolton more than enough time and patience to succeed at his job. Bolton failed on all accounts. From the Dallas Morning News (annotated):

03:19 PM CDT on Thursday, August 28, 2003
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON and SELWYN CRAWFORD / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas City Manager Ted Benavides said Thursday that he supported former Police Chief Terrell Bolton for four years, but finally fired him when he decided the chief's performance was not going to improve.

1. Mr. Benavides said he went to Mr. Bolton's office in July to discuss making improvements in the department. He said Mr. Bolton argued with him for two hours.

2. After statistics showed the city of Dallas had the highest crime rate among the nation's largest cities, Mayor Laura Miller requested weekly meetings with the chief. Mr. Benavides said Mr. Bolton initially said he wouldn't attend.

3. Mr. Benavides said he told Mr. Bolton on Aug. 4 that if he wouldn't go to the meetings, he would ask him to resign. The city manager prepared a one-sentence resignation letter that he believed the chief was going to sign. He said Mr. Bolton left the room and called his wife. When he came back, he questioned Mr. Benavides about his pension. Mr. Benavides said Mr. Bolton then decided not to sign the letter and to go to the weekly meetings with the mayor.

4. Mr. Benavides said he did not make the same resignation offer when he fired Mr. Bolton on Tuesday.

"I could have offered him a chance to resign, but I just didn't," he said. "I thought I was being respectful."

The best article on this mess is Get Ted from the Dallas Observer, where it ALL links back to John Wiley Price.

" Bolton is the political godson of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, the city's most powerful black politician. Bolton got protection from Price. Big-time." And " Southern Dallas is genuinely on the cusp of great promise. Three of the four black members--Don Hill, Leo Chaney and James Fantroy--are the sharpest representatives Southern Dallas has sent to City Hall in years, when they follow their own counsel.

But the path Price has led them down on the Bolton deal points the way to powerlessness and irrelevance. "

Sheesh, when will this end.