As if there was any, this morning’s N&R story on Tim Bellamy’s selection as Greensboro’s police chief leaves little doubt that he was the city’s preferred candidate:
Bellamy received a standing ovation from City Council members and city staffers as City Manager Mitchell Johnson announced the appointment at downtown’s Central Library. More than three dozen officers attended the news conference….
Johnson first thought he’d name a new chief by mid-2006, once the State Bureau of Investigation finished its ensuing criminal probe. By October, when it became clear that wouldn’t happen, the city manager opened his search.
The new target then became early April. The search accelerated in recent weeks as Johnson winnowed his top 12 candidates to four, including Bellamy, the only internal candidate.
By the time Johnson made an offer, two of the four finalists had withdrawn, citing other opportunities and the impression they weren’t the favored pick. Johnson said the decision to hire Bellamy wasn’t affected by the withdrawals.
I wonder how the other candidates got that impression? That said, I’ll admit it’s probably easier said than done to bring in an outsider to head the police force of a mid-size city like Greensboro. The problem is Jerry Bledsoe’s reporting in the Rhino leaves the impression that nothing will change under Bellamy. An outsider would come in and see things the way they really are and fix what really needs to be fixed.
Guarino asks if yesterday’s latest Bledsoe piece makes us feel better about Bellamy’s selection. Not really. And while we’re at it, let’s float some media-related conspiracy theories. It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the city would make the announcement on the same day a new Bledsoe installment hits the rack. Was the city trying to deflect attention from Bledsoe’s latest report? Wouldn’t a Tuesday or a Wednesday be a better day to make the announcement, long after the latest Rhino has hit the recycle bin?
Or does the city just not think about things like this?
