The growing credibility problem with the Wichita police department

Chief Gordon Ramsay read from a statement during Friday’s Wichita police briefing, then took questions from reporters.

One asked how indictments released Thursday, revealing two officers being charged with obstructing a criminal investigation, reflected on the department even though the officers’ actions allegedly occurred in 2014, two years before Ramsay’s arrival.

Seemingly exasperated – and not by the question – Ramsay went off script.

“There’s a lot that’s been going on, right?” he said. “I’m passionate about the role police play in society. We do tremendous stuff for the community, so it weighs heavily on us. Community support is critical for our success.”

Ramsay may see support waning for his department after a series of events that have put Wichita police in a negative light. A 3-minute, 45-second statement about working with the community to create understanding and build trust was the result.

Ramsay is correct. There have been many recent moments to create doubt within the city.

The shooting death of Andrew Finch, 28, who was unarmed when police surrounded his home Dec. 28 as the result of a swatting call, has gained the most attention. Police have said Finch lowered his hands to his waist against instructions before raising them, when an officer fired a single shot.

In October, public records revealed an off-duty officer was suspected of causing a 2016 collision and leaving the scene. The officer’s name was later removed from a police report identifying her as the driver. She has since resigned and filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Late last month, an officer fired two shots at a dog while investigating the report of a man threatening to hurt himself. The man was outside when the officer fired in a small living room occupied by four children ages 6-10. Bullet fragments ricocheted and hit a 9-year-old girl above her eye, the mother said. The girl had minor injuries.

Last week, a police captain was placed on paid administrative leave after being accused of pushing a female teen referee during a youth basketball game in Augusta. Video posted on Facebook showed the man taking a boy off the court and saying, “Get out of my way.”

Then Thursday, two now-former officers were indicted on accusations that they tried to identify an undercover officer during an illegal poker game in Wichita. Ramsay said Friday he knew of the investigation soon after his arrival in early 2016.

All this is happening in a period where police are working to solve seven homicides that occurred during a 10-day period in late November and early December. Ramsay last month announced the renewal of three teams that will target problem areas and problem people.

It’s also happening in a period where Ramsay and the department have been criticized, including here, for a lack of transparency in releasing body-camera video and answering questions that don’t appear to obstruct investigations.

Ramsay used his remarks Friday to renew his commitment to building community support. He said he has done that by having outside agencies investigate matters involving Wichita officers, notifying media and the public when officers are arrested or charged with crimes, and not paying officers on administrative leave until cases have been resolved.

There is hope a newly created citizens review board, to meet for the first time in coming weeks, will be a valuable tool for Wichitans outside the department to be part of the oversight process.

“While we have had issues lately that have rattled us, I have tremendous faith in the men and women of this department,” Ramsay said in prepared remarks. “They’re out there doing good deeds every minute of every day. We can’t lose sight that the overwhelming majority of our officers are tremendous public servants, and they work very hard to keep this community safe.

“Remember, there is nothing that good cops dislike more than bad cops.”

Same could be said of Wichitans who have faith in their police department. Those who trust police, but not blindly, have had a trying time recently as they justify the death of an unarmed man by a police gunshot. The heartache that the community feels for Finch and his family is also extended by many to the officer who took what was determined to be an innocent life.

But there are those who think Finch’s death is symptomatic of an above-the-law attitude by police. Recent questions about police judgment, combined with videos from across the country of officer-involved shootings, have reduced some residents’ view of police to a skepticism, waiting to see what goes wrong next.

We want to trust our police, and most times we do. Ramsay has worked since his arrival to improve police relations with the community, earn support and improve dialogue between cops and all Wichitans, especially those who have traditionally been wary of law enforcement.

But his statement Friday acknowledges an increasing credibility problem. Ramsay should use every tool available to fix it.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 3:49 PM with the headline "The growing credibility problem with the Wichita police department."