Seattle Police Department (SPD) has announced that Les Liggins is being transferred from captain of the South Precinct to the Narcotics Section, effective in just two weeks.
It’s a significant reduction in responsibilities for the 24-year veteran – down from an entire precinct to just three squads of detectives and a Drug Court Liaison.
Liggins’ previous experience includes leading the Metropolitan Section (SWAT, Mounted Patrol and K9 Patrol), Fraud, Forgery and Financial Exploitation, Auto Theft and Audit Accreditation and Policy.
Meanwhile, Captain Dave Emerick, a 25-year veteran of the police force who comes to the South Precinct by way of the Violent Crimes Section, will assume command of the South Precinct on Wed., Aug. 5.
SPD says he’ll lead approximately 83 officers assigned to Patrol Operations, including a Community Police Team and a plain-clothes Anti-Crime Team. Captain Emerick has previously served in the Gang Unit, Narcotics Section, Homicide Unit and Harbor Patrol. This will be Captain Emerick’s first precinct command.
Photos Courtesy of SPD
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{ 34 comments }
“Captain Emerick has previously served in the Gang Unit, Narcotics Section, Homicide Unit and Harbor Patrol. ”
He’s got the qualifications. But seriously is this happening now due to the light rail and he is the scapegoat? Are they going to give this guy a bunch of new officers off the bat or is it going to be business as usual?
This could be a really good thing. I am crossing my fingers.
MarkB – I don’t understand the lightrail/scapegoat comment. Please explain.
This must be because of the escalating gun & knife violence. Time to bring in someone with more violent criminal apprehension experience. I agree with Mimi, probably a good thing.
Les never connected with our community. It’s a shame. Many of us reached out to him repeatedly and he chose to blow us off.
Can you explain why this is a demotion and not a transfer? It is not clear to me from the details provided.
Thanks
Les Liggins’ demotion seems to be a classic “set up to fail” situation. He was the wrong guy for the job, he was caught between the community and the party line and he is a convenient fall-guy in many respects. However all along, he has compliantly tripped right into the sand trap.
He walked the party line on the crime stats fiasco until utterance of the “40 year” phrase started drawing projectile fruit and veggies at community meetings.
He seemed to have his hands tied behind his back on the whole sex offender notification issue, from the Acqui situation to the botched community educational meeting that was thrown together with pathetic community notification.
He left a trail of missed cues, faux pas, and images of a frustrated & disorganized official disdainful of the people he was working for.
Late and leaving early for community meetings, coming unprepared to answer questions, stonewalling further requests for information are all either the flailing imagery of someone completely out of their depth and frustrated with their own ineptitude…or someone operating with one hand tied behind his back by the powers that be-unable to maneuver in a political cluster…(ahem) involving light rail/election year approaching/escalating violence etc. etc.
In either case, at a certain pay grade you are responsible for your results. Period. If he was unable to operate effectively, he needed to step aside. But as a community we have to ask ourselves if the buck really stops with him.
I think the light rail will definitely be a factor in how much crime prevention they city sends to the southend. The city wants riders , but as long as the majority of southend residents do not feel safe walking the streets after dark—especially to the deserted intersections of the light rail stations—few will be willing to use light rail as a a regular mode of transportation.
Wife couldn’t believe how many police are patrolling the new LR stations. Nothing like intimidating the sheepish middle class to keep them in line. Don’t want them getting out of hand.
ahow has a point. As a community we need to demand more. The new policing plan has proven to be so bad for the community that the City could have spent less money and effort by fast-forwarding to recruiting and arming criminals to commit crimes in the area with the same net effect.
To top it off City Human Services dollars that are intended to be for crime prevention programs are instead being spent on fluff and serving dinners to ensure lots of people show up at meetings that culminate with no measurable results or improvements. Meanwhile, the SE Crime Prevention Council (which has a history of producing positive results) has been marginalized by Captain Liggins and Seattle Neighborhood Group (recipient of the Human Services funding).
I wanted to march on City Hall in 2007 when the plan was presented to the community. But I was unable to convince others of the alarm going off in my head; nor could I get the community to see the writing on the wall that I saw in huge bold letters. Do the math: How can a community that is already acknowledged to have the MOST UNDERSTAFFED precinct in the City get a 30% increase in their patrol area and NO additional officers?!? But that is precisely what the City did to us January 1, 2008. Worse yet, it puts our officers in harms way when they have inadequate backup units to rely upon.
A policing plan which is based on the number of 9-1-1 calls in a precinct can never be adequate. The system gives the same weight to a call from an elderly person in Magnolia who hears a noise in their driveway (which turns out to be a trash can knocked over by the wind) as it does to a call for shots fired (which sets into motion several patrol cars and officers responding).
So bottom line – even if Captain Liggins had proven to be an effective precinct commander we’d still have a mess on our hands in SE Seattle, credit for which should be placed firmly on City policy decisions. BTW, if you didn’t make it to the SE Seattle Candidates’ Forum one question was: “Do you believe SE Seattle has been treated equitably compared to other parts of the city?” Every Mayoral candidate there (Greg Nickels was absent) responded “NO”. That should tell you something.
If any of you are as hopping mad as I’ve been for the past two years contact me.
P.S. to SolvayGirl – couldn’t have said it better myself.
Is he being demoted or transfered? I always thought if you’re demoted, it’s because your not performing up to the task. This article doesn’t mention anything like that. And the PI doesn’t say anything about him being demoted?
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/174512.asp#extended
@Tiffany
“MarkB – I don’t understand the lightrail/scapegoat comment. Please explain.”
Basically nobody gave a rats ass about the South End as far as policing until a couple of weeks before the Light Rail (Remember every story ended with “No arrests have been made”).
Now that they can’t have everyone getting mugged/beaten/shot/raped near the stations,now it is time for a change? He may not have been the right guy for the job but if he would have had an appropriate amount of officers I’m sure he would have done better.
If we continue to have the same staffing shortage how much better do you think this guy will do?
“Can you explain why this is a demotion and not a transfer?”
Because it’s a significant reduction in responsibilities – down from an entire precinct to just three squads of detectives and a Drug Court Liaison.
Although I’m sure that Liggins wouldn’t be up for transfer if everybody was happy with his performance, the unit he’s being transferred to is a HIGH volume unit, that handles a ton of cases. But it involves less work with the community, and less supervision over the day-to-day operations.
“But it involves less work with the community, and less supervision over the day-to-day operations.”
Smart move. Having spent many years in corporate communications, I can say with some certainty that – in his capacity as precinct captain – Les is a public relations disaster waiting to happen (or a consistent implosion over time, depending on how you choose to look at it).
Well, RVP commenters, we need to keep the pressure on and hold the new South Precinct captain accountable. Demand new technologies and methods that are being deployed in other police depts across the country. I do not understand why the SPD will not engage in twitter to alert residents of realtime events that could save another life, alert of a registered sex offender, home invasion or aid in capturing a criminal.
I was excitedly discussing the possibility of commuting by train the other day when the thought of walking home in the dark deflated me. I hope this new development means I won’t have to carry pepper spray when I walk home from the station at night.
” I hope this new development means I won’t have to carry pepper spray when I walk home from the station at night.”
I don’t care who the precinct commander is. Having grown up in an urban area, I would never walk home from a station at night – especially in the Rainier Valley – without pepper spray and very loud whistle.
Frankly, for a woman to do otherwise in any American city is straight naive.
“Les never connected with our community. It’s a shame. Many of us reached out to him repeatedly and he chose to blow us off.”
Did the Council ever give him a chance?
I don’t think so. He wasn’t one to connect with the Southend Powers, because they were half the problem (and still are).
I hope this new guy will be just as connected to his JOB, and not swayed by the four people who run this section of town.
If he is, we’ll be in for another many years of squalor.
Am I wrong?
Wow, look what happens when I leave town.
@ Wes, yes you are wrong. The issues were bigger than the small town political games that embroil groups like SNG and the various councils.
SSSL
Oh, a Captain is a Captain as is a Captain who is a Captain. Demotion should not be assumed. The role may be an opportunity for him to demonstrate his strengths.
SSSL
How so?
Same sh*t’s been going on since I had my first IPA.
I can’t imagine it changing, just because another cop or another mayor takes over. Until of course some other Southend people take over. But how’s that going to happen??
(So where’d you get off to, sister?)
Going to bed, but I hope you travelled to a place with beautiful moutains, fresh water lakes, salt water beaches, great neighborhoods, dark-roasted coffee.
Oh, bugger….
SSSL
I’ll only buy that if the pay grades are all the same. But I do agree he is better off in a position of less visibility to, well…us.
btw, I smell a Rat.
@ ahow – dat was Ratzby again. Either way, we should take whatever small victories we get in Seattle. Ratzby has a point though…….just because we get a new captain it doesn’t mean that he will be empowered to openly work with the longstanding community members. We need a new mayor for that to occur……all the sub-chiefs are scared of the Mayor as well. Right now he holds all the cards.
SSSL
@ Ratzby,
Like Neil Diamond says –
“L.A.’s fine, the sun shines most the time
And the feeling is ‘laid back’
Palm trees grow, and rents are low
But you know keep thinkin’ about
Making my way back”
I am I said.
BTW – you should switch to lighter beers.
We have a chance for renewed communication with the South Precinct
Commander. Let’s offer him a good welcome and open up lines of communication once again. At this time we have a chance to look to
a strong police chief and start to lobby the city council and the mayor’s office. Take a look and google Anne Kirkpatrick, Spokane Police Chief,
who is most interested in heading up SPD. Check her out, don’t take my
word, she is extremely well respected by many law enforcement personnel.
MQ
@ Marianna – concur, but there may be some good internal candidates as well.
Tom A.
Hey is anyone else suddenly not receiving followup comment notifications via email, despite checking that little box? I’ve checked my spam folders…no dice. I’m bewildered…
I was wondering about that also, thought maybe I was on stepchild status.
MarkB
AHAAaaaaaaaaa…so I am not alone…
I wonder if City Hall will attempt to use Liggins as a scapegoat for the Acqui cover-up?
It will be interesting to see if City Hall continues to snub the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council (and SE residents, in general). They don’t have Liggins for an excuse any longer.
SSSSSL,
I have some other lyrics (besides the LL ones about Cali), by Randy Newman:
Hate New York City
It’s cold and it’s damp
And all the people dressed like monkeys
Let’s leave Chicago to the Eskimos
That town’s a little bit too rugged
For you and me you bad girl
Rollin’ down the Imperial Highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana winds blowin’ hot from the north
And we was born to ride
Roll down the window, put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys baby
Don’t let the music stop
We’re gonna ride it till we just can’t ride it no more
From the South Bay to the Valley
From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody’s very happy
‘Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day
I love L.A. (We love it)
I love L.A. (We love it)
Look at that mountain
Look at those trees
Look at that bum over there, man
He’s down on his knees
Look at these women
There ain’t nothin’ like ‘em nowhere
Century Boulevard (We love it)
Victory Boulevard (We love it)
Santa Monica Boulevard (We love it)
Sixth Street (We love it, we love it)
I love L.A.
I love L.A.
(We love it)
Glad you’re back in town, you bad girl.
“We need a new mayor for that to occur……all the sub-chiefs are scared of the Mayor as well. Right now he holds all the cards.”
If you truly believe that, as some others seem to, then more power to you. But there is just a very small chance that the problems here aren’t and never were the mayor’s fault. In which case we’ll just keep on and on about the new mayor, and things will seem an unbroken whine.
Not that consistancy is a bad thing…
If there are any big nasty redheads out there who want to make South Seattle known as a welcoming place, please give me a call. Or better, call SSSSSSSL. Or Amber, or Ahow. Or Mark.
My cards are a bit damp.
“Look at these women
There ain’t nothin’ like ‘em nowhere”
He may be right, but there are better ones right here.
He f*cked up by not driving North on I5.
We love it!
I would like to thank Les for all the calls he responded to when we needed him in New Holly. I appreciated coming home and often see ing him patrolling Phase One of New Holly. I attended several meeting s with Les and at Columbia Library where he can early, he spoke to several people who met him for the 1st time and handed out his call for further contacts. I can only hope the new person can continue to build on Les’ efforts.
“ahow 07.25.09 at 10:25 am
Hey is anyone else suddenly not receiving followup comment notifications via email, despite checking that little box? I’ve checked my spam folders…no dice. I’m bewildered…”
Me too.
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