SPOKANE, Wash. — Mayor Nadine Woodward said Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl has her full support, but now several council members say her administration is required to further investigate the chief.
Council members will discuss a resolution to launch an independent investigation into the chief to determine the full scope and nature of his conduct.
According to Spokane Municipal Code (SMC) 4.32.030(Q), complaints about the police chief must be made to the mayor and investigated by the city's Human Resources department. However, the council resolution states "there has been no apparent follow up investigation...of the allegations set forth."
Last month, 21 community organizations released a scathing letter, condemning Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl and asking for his resignation, saying the chief gave special access and information to downtown business owners.
"Our chief of police is using city resources to advance the agenda of a narrow group of powerful business owners, lending them more power than the average Spokanite," one woman said during a March open forum.
The call for his removal comes after the city's police ombudsman released the findings of their investigation which revealed hundreds of emails were exchanged between Chief Meidl and members of the Spokane Business and Commercial Property Owners Council.
Chief Meidl says the group reached out to him, asking how businesses owners could help police improve safety downtown. Meidl says none of the communications involved privileged information.
"I'm working with them and explain to them, 'here's what the hurdles are for us," Meidl said. "And that's really what this boils down to, is providing them information from our perspective of tools and things that we need to create that safer downtown. It's important for me to point out we have done this for many organizations."
The resolution calls for the investigation to begin no later than May 30. Findings would be shared to the mayor and city council no later than the end of August.
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