After an anonymous letter circulated criticizing new Denver Police Chief Robert White for not bringing the changes needed in the department and calling him "Whitman part two," Chief White has reacted with some personel changes -- White has demoted Division Chief Tracie Keesee to captain following an internal investigation, 9News reports. Keesee, a 23 year department veteran, was considered a favorite among the rank-and-file during the search for a new DPD chief before White was selected for the job.
Although Keesee did not write the letter, the investigation revealed that the letter was sent through her computer at one point as it was circulating.
Four other officers were transferred in the action taken by Chief White, who would not explain his reasoning for the personnel changes, only saying that these moves were in the best interest of the department, according to The Denver Post.
Before the letter began circulating, DPD insiders told CBS4 that they believed White would promote Keesee as a nod to her being passed over for the chief position. Regarding the demotion, Keesee told CBS4 matter-of-factly, "You go with what you are assigned. I'm happy I still have a job."
The critical letter, signed by the "Men and Women of the Denver Police Department" and sent to Mayor Michael Hancock's office, posed the same question the ACLU has been asking: "Where is the change?"
According to the letter sent out Wednesday, an anonymous group within the city's police force wants transparency, fairness and accountability in the police department. On those issues the letter claims that Chief White has been a disappointment already. 7News reports that one example cited in the letter alleges that White's decision making was swayed when a commander got him free tickets to a Denver Broncos game.
White was just sworn in Dec. 12 from his old police chief post in Louisville, Ky., but began by promising transparency and an effort to restore the public's trust.
"We are going to have some changes, I'm going to be misleading you if we weren't. I don't think the mayor hired me to have things as the status quo and I'm not a status quo guy," Chief White said during his swearing-in ceremony. Yet the letter wrote that Chief White was "business as usual."
An excerpt from the letter:
Mr. Mayor, we feel that we were ready for Chief White to come in here and be effective. Although he talks a big game his actions are telling us that this (is) Whitman part two. Anybody can re-arrange some titles and move the same people around to different positions. Change is in the heart and mind of every Denver Police Officer who was looking at a new brand of leadership not business as usual.
Yet a change in officer discipline procedures will require the city charter to be changed by Denver voters either via a ballot measure or having Denver City Council members draft a solution for voter approval.
The authors of the anonymous letter say they are afraid that White's first appointments will be largely made up of the same people in high-ranking positions under former his predecessor, Gerry Whitman.
However, Denver Police spokesman Lt. Matt Murray warned the Denver Post not to read the letter verbatim. "This is clearly a reaction to him bringing in the change that is needed. It's all speculation and opinion."
The Denver Post published much of the anonymous critical letter's contents, read more from the letter here.