Dan Hils - CPD Chief Theetge's future

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Friday e to you starting off with the guests right now,
although I always consider callers guests as well. You're welcome
to call, but not right now because Dan Hills returns
former FOP president Dan Hills putting his old FOP kind
of hat back on and giving us an analysis of
the lay of the landscape of the since a police
department relative to law enforcement in downtown, and will Chief
Fiji be fired? Sure, sounded like it was going to

(00:22):
happen yesterday. Welcome back, Dan Hills. It's great having you
on the show.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
All Brian, It's good to be back. I hope you're well.
Hope your health as well.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, I'm doing really well. I appreciate you asking about that.
Thank you very much. Now, Yes, sure, it looked like
calling Fiji back into town from her police chief conference
looked like the writing was on the wall, although there
was what I would call backpedaling if they had made
the decision to fire her. It has not happened yet,
But do you get the impression that Fiji's on thin

(00:51):
ice and it's just the shoe just hasn't dropped yet.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, I mean, that's obviously the thing. Bring her back
from Denver, which you know in something, I have commentary
rights here. You know, I don't think going out of
town to a chief conference during this time of increased
scrutiny and the violence on the streets and all, that
thing was probably the best the best picture to present

(01:17):
of the police department or her leadership.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Well better that than well watching while the city burns.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
And it was. I don't think it was a good idea,
But yeah, I didn't know where you were going to go.
If you're just try ask me my opinion of the
chiefs or.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, that's a separate here.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
You're the host, I'll let.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
You no, no, no, I think that's a completely separate issue.
And it's a worthy issue to address because you know,
you still stay in touch with active members since a
law enforcement I bet you have a pretty good idea
about their perception of whether police chief three strategis doing
a good job or not. I've had people tell me
one way or another, and I have my own perceptions
along those lines. But that's why we have you on
the show. So how she fares among ung the ranks

(02:00):
is one thing. And if we had the old system
before this issue five thing, the rank and file would
decide whether or not they wanted to cling to her correct.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yes, and I you know, issue five is the discussion
of its own and I was. I was listening to
Christopherer Smootherman on there, and let's hope to god he
gets elected and Steve Gooden gets elected and there is
some change and some change of thought down at City Hall.
But that's what I guess I wanted to say about
the chief in my opinion, that she's more of a

(02:33):
symptom of a problem in a sense than the problem.
I think she's done a better job than I expected.
I don't make any secrets about it. I was not
supporting her. I was still the president when when she
got appointed. I was pulling for Lisa Davis. And I
was only pulling for Lisa Davis because I was listening,
I want to say only, but I was mostly pulling
for Lisa Davis because that's what my cops are telling me.

(02:56):
So it was like, this is an easy one. I
got all these cops calling me and saying, yeah, can
you get can you get anything done? And I remember
being disappointed in city at City Hall, namely share Al
Long because she went on this last second tour of
talking to the cops when I knew she had already decided.
I had a good source inside city Hall that said

(03:17):
she had already decided, but then she heard the controversy
that was out there. I was putting it out there
that the cops far preferred Lisa Davis, who went on
to be the chief in Austin, Texas. But just so
I'm not here, you know, celebrating this trouble rating. I
think that Terry TG's done a better job than what

(03:39):
I had expected. Jansom downside, I guess anybody would. And
and it's easy to sit outside and be a critic
and throw darts. But you know, again, I think the
reason she got the job as part of the symptom
of the disease, and and that is you're far left

(04:00):
activism within city Hall to the point where they hire
somebody like Irish Rolli, which we could talk about we
will rest the show, right, well, so you know, and
so you hire somebody like uh Perry Thigi who had
gone in there and willing to sit down and and
and play with Irish Roly. Can you imagine uh uh

(04:23):
back in the day you mentioned Striker or Smitherman mentioned Striker.
That's the last guy in their old system, would he
have would he have paid attention to her or cared
what she said? Ever, only to criticize her is the
only time he would have spoke up in his mind.
And even under their new system of hiring and and
and and keeping chiefs. Can you imagine if James Craig

(04:43):
would have had deal if Irish ROLLI you would have
he would have come out publicly and and uh and
condemned her for the dingling that she is. So you know,
you put somebody into place, and part of her marching
orders and part of what I assume I said, I
don't know this for a fact. Part of what she
agreed to to get the appointment was that she would

(05:03):
she would play along with Iris and all that silliness
that you're he is wrong with that.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
So you're illustrating the political reality that that job became.
Once the city manager and the mayor have the sole
power to hire and fire, then they really are at
the whim of the directive of the city manager and mayor.
If you don't follow my directive, you're going to lose
your job. So let's hold I'm just going to stop there.
That's my thought. We'll let you respond and we will
bring up iris role among other topics with Dan Hill's

(05:29):
former FOP president Right Talk Station Thursday by Time's with
former FOP President Dan Hill talking about the situation going
in downtown Cincinnati. He looks like the chief TG's job,
that Figi's job may be on the line of speculation,
wondering about back and forth. Of course, exclusive control over
her position held by a mayor, aft have Purvall and

(05:50):
Sherry Long didn't used to be that way, but now
we have the involvement and that you mentioned Iris Roli before,
and I wanted to see if you have confirmation on
something I read from our friend and signal ninety nine.
I think she is at least a former, if not current,
police officer, but she's always standing up on these issues,
So follow her on Facebook, she said. With regard to
the Governor's office and him providing these state agency resources,

(06:14):
that mayor a f tab Porval took a little bit
of she gave them a lecture, and I just I
can read the quote here even where's mayor and city
council forced the Governor's office multiple state agencies to sit
through a lecture from Iris Rowley. Fast forward a little bit,
not the director of the collaborative agreement because there isn't one,
but dictated to the troopers what the agents could and

(06:34):
could not do in the city of Cincinnati. Did she
really do that?

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Did she?

Speaker 1 (06:38):
Did she speak to all the officers that were coming
in from the from the state?

Speaker 2 (06:44):
You know, I don't have confirmation to that, And that
might be a little bit of the difference between me
and ninety nine. I think that we comment on a
lot of the same things, and where you obviously have
the same political feelings as those she's got. Right now
at this stage of my life, she's got more sources
than I do, and she's definitely working at her page

(07:07):
and stuff harder than I work mine. But I'll say this,
it sounds likely to me because that's the way that
things work in the city, which brings me around full
circle to where do you go next? And I think
it to hear Cobra if he was on this morning.
But I did read this statement that they put out

(07:28):
saying that, you know, the police chief isn't the problem,
which is kind of what I'm doubling down on. But
my thing is where do you go next? How can
you get a quality person in here to be the
police chief when you still have Irish Roli on your payroll.
And they I think they actually believe that Irish Roly
has like a riot button in her den or something,

(07:50):
that she can push a button and cause a riot,
and that's why they bow to her. And I don't
think she has that much power. I think the only
power she has is the power they give her. So
I mean, it's it's insanity on top of insanity. You
you have a law and order problem, so you hire
somebody that is an anti law person to go up
to go out and and rile up the masses from

(08:13):
time to time, and it's it's almost like an alternate reality.
It's hard to believe that the city does that, that
they hire this lady and that you know, the only
reason that I think they could is because again they
think that she has the power to uh let loose
uh you know, all the all the use and cause
and cause some sort of promotion. And I don't think

(08:36):
I don't think that she has that power. So yes,
I can see her speaking to the troopers and stuff. Enough,
I was the troopers or the commander that came up
the troopers, I would I would get all my people
up and say let's go. We listen to this, this malarkey.
We're down here to help the city with a crime problem,
not listen, uh, not listen to her. So that's the

(08:57):
that's the back to the symptom rather than these they
only are going to appoint somebody. And I think that's
part of what cover statement that I want to double
down on us is the chief isn't the problem? You know,
Like I said, I can sit there and nitpick a
couple of things, and I could also compliment a couple
of things. But the problem started because I think she

(09:19):
agreed to be their yes person.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Right, Okay, Okay, Then she got the job for agreeing
to be a yes person for a woke pretty much
anti police administration, a rethink the police administration, or a
defund the police administration. I think iris Roli was part
of that entire movement. So I think in defending your
you're also pointing out a criticism. A strong chief who

(09:45):
knows how to conduct law enforcement, how to manage police resources,
would stand in defiance to a directive that was counter
to what her perception of proper law enforcement is. Okay, Yeah,
I was appointed by the city manager and mayor. I
know they want to go this direction, but I think
it's bad for the city for the following reasons. She
runs the risk of losing your job for you know,
rejecting something that they told her. But it would show

(10:07):
that she is independent and of thought, of mind and
independent of you know, the direction the police need to go.
So I think that's not She's.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
Not She's not like the problem. She's not She's not independent.
I think she was Sheryl Long's girl from the get go.
I mean, like I was pulling for Lisa Davis, somebody
that I don't necessarily hang out with politically, shall I
say she is a friend and I and I thought
she was a better natural leader. And you know that's

(10:40):
and and again I think I think Terry is a
nice person. I think she's very smart and qualified, but
she doesn't have that whatever it is that that certain
leaders have that get people to fall where I thought
Lisa had more of that. Lisa politically and I are
are are our world's apart. But I just thought that
she she would be more of that natural leader. And

(11:02):
I also think Lisa has stood up to him on
some different things that made her not not their pick,
and so until you fix the system. And this is
where you know, like I said, I'm double amount on
what Cover said with issue five, and mister Spiderman said,
until you double down on the system, change the system,
then then then nothing's going to get better. And I

(11:23):
don't think you're going to get anybody of any quality,
at least not from outside of the agency to come
in and and inside I don't know either if they're
going to get somebody that's very interested in this, because
you you either have to compromise yourself or risk risk
risk risks and what is no might might or likely

(11:46):
happen to terry.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
Something that this Issue five created. It highly politicized the
job and tied the hands of the police chief in
the city of Since Snake Ken, let's stop and we'll
bring you back and get a couple of final words
on the of Dan. I'm sorry, I'm I was thinking
that I was looking up My interview with Ken was
on the fourteenth. You can go to fifty five KRC
dot com and check out the podcast. I was searching

(12:09):
for that since you brought him up in my conversation
earlier in this week. One more with r CB Talk
Station he rid a prying with Thomas here with FIP
former FFP president Dan Hills. Dan, obviously, I think everyone can.
Everyone can, all political stripes can agree that. May I
have to have pur Ball in a reactive mode. Wasn't
out getting in front of crime issues. Crimes, I guess

(12:32):
has started building. We've got a societal breakdown problem. Regardless
of the genesis of it. His answer to it has
been only to recently create and enforce the curfew. Now
he's extended the hours of the curfew. But the curfew,
it is what it is. It's only enforced in certain neighborhoods,
and I kind of scratched my head and wonder about it.
There's fifty two neighborhoods in the city. What about the

(12:54):
other neighborhoods where the curfew doesn't exist. I know they
have crime problems there, but also the idea of putting
SWAT in other police resources on Fountain Square at least
at a larger presence until ten pm, I thought all
the crap hit the fan. I know it happens during
the day, but a lot of the criminal activity takes
place after ten pm. So I just wanted your reaction

(13:17):
to his most recent reactive efforts to deal with crime.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
But you know, you just he just said right there,
reacting is never as good as being proactive, you know.
But also I'm going to I'm going to say the
same thing you kind of said too, that the country
and the big parts of the community are in a speech, spiritual,
and cultural crisis. I mean, that's that's beyond the mayor's control,

(13:45):
the chiefs control, and everybody else. It's And then the
next step down is the state doesn't have enough prison
space for all the thuggery that needs to go to
jail and stay in jail. And I don't know, if
you know, taxpayers up here and more in County and
everybody else are necessarily going to want end on what
it would take to house all the bad guys that

(14:06):
we have in this state. And so this, you know,
there's there's a problem there. The county judges, Oh my gosh,
you'd covered that all the time, and ninety you talked
about ninety nine. She likes to she likes to bring
up in detail the insanity that you have a county judges.
So you have all that, and then so what do
you do. You get reactive because there's stuff beyond your
control and like to SWAT and the CDRT stuff, all

(14:29):
that is doing is Robin Peter to pay Paul. You know,
most of our SWAT members are CDR Team members. They're
all in different assignments, and a whole lot of those
assignments are patrol people in districts two, three, and four,
and so now you're you're bringing them down. Well that
you can't be two places at one time, right, and
you can only work so much over time and still

(14:51):
be effective. So while I agree if I was if
I was the chief, or if Joe Strucker was the
chief and I was advising, because don't want of your chief,
but if if I were there, I understand wanting to
have those central business districts feel and be one hundred
percent safe, and the best way you can do that

(15:13):
is to occupy with an occupy an army, if you would.
So back to the one hundred and fifty to two
hundred cops that were short, maybe we even need to
reconsider the complement of cops. But that takes us back
to who wants to come work here. It's been harder
to get people to come to a police department a
city that hires Irish rolling and one of my favorite

(15:34):
topics in my years there the CCA, which is an
anti police organization. So we're paying, we're paying tax dollars
to have people that go out there and handicap the
police department. I don't know how many times I can
use the word insane in a single guest appearance on
your show, Brian to where you get tire, You got
to come up, you got to come up with some

(15:54):
different terms there, Dan, But it's insane. I mean, it's
insane that to have the CCA and have it operate
like it does. It's insane to have Irish roly and
have her on the payroll, and so then you end
up getting reactive and doing stuff like working people half
to death to have presence in your central business district

(16:15):
that you should have anyway, if you had the proper
number of cops. What's that proper number, I don't know,
I would I would say, you know, it might be
approaching like fourteen hundred cops or something that you would
like to have in a city this size, with the
crime problems that it has and the people that come
into here for business and entertainment. So you can't just go, oh, look,

(16:37):
you know, we're about the same size as you know,
Salt Lake City or whatever. I don't know any think
about the size of the Salt Lake City if they have
a totally different demographic and crime problem and don't have
professional teams and all other stuff. We need more cops.
You know. We can't control the spiritual and cultural crisis
that's in this country and in our commun unities. We

(17:00):
can't control what's going on as a state. The one
thing we can do is we can have more cops.
And that's not the chief problem, at least not alone.
The city hall's problem that they've haven't gone out there
and been the city that people want to come and
work for and then go and get the people that
you need to have that presence to do the best

(17:23):
you can under really bad circumstances here in the country now.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Been complaining about the lack of police office for a
long time. Pervall even said he once increase the compliment.
But the big hurdle here is getting the bodies to apply.
Whether they're going through an academy class from start or
they're lateral higher. You got to have, well the dangling
carrots of incentive to front officer want to move over
here in the city of Cincinnati, and you pointed out
a number of problems and challenges we all face in

(17:48):
that regard. I certainly appreciate Dan Hillsey coming on the
program today. It's been a great conversation. Keep up the
great work, and I knew you and I be talking
again soon. I hope take care of my friend.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Looking forward to it, Brian, take care.

Speaker 1 (18:00):
Six fifty six fifty five kisity detoxication. Congressman Warren