A Woman Police Chief

Fort Worth Police Chief Pat Kneblick made a splash in the news recently when she was appointed to lead the 1,439-officer department in North Texas’ second-largest city.  Why? Because she’s a she, one of only a few big-city women police chiefs in the country.

Her appointment is “interim” while city leaders conduct a “nationwide search.” It’s a big country, and there are no doubt many qualified candidates out there. Will she get the permanent gig?

It’s the old argument: Does the city go with new blood? Or a known entity who already knows the department from the inside?

In an interesting move, she already promoted someone else to take her old job as deputy chief, leading to an awkward situation if she’s not named permanent chief. Either she doesn’t have a job to go back to, or the deputy chief she just appointed bumps back to captain.

I first met Chief Kneblick back in 1994 when I started work at NBC 5.  The gang wars were raging that summer. It got so bad, it attracted national publicity. In a radio broadcast from jail, one gang leader called for a “truce.” She was the department’s spokeswoman, and I ran into her frequently at crime scenes. My impression of her then was that she was a hard worker and a straight shooter, who often worked overtime whenever the “news” happened. (The shootings seemed to take place every night.)

Later, she shot up the ranks to lead the department’s patrol division, among other things.

Among the troops, her appointment to interim chief is not universally applauded.

Privately, some rank-and-file complain she’s an “administrator” and “paper pusher” who is out of touch with the real world of police work out on the street. As a top administrator, she has also stepped on more than a few toes over the years. At least one city council member tells me her detractors are letting their feelings be known at the highest levels of city government.

But she also has her supporters. They say she’s tough. She can size up a situation and make a quick decision. Retired Chief Ralph Mendoza recommended her to replace him, an endorsement that carries some weight.

As Interim Chief, Kneblick has kept a pretty low profile so far. She’s also been untested. No real high-profile crimes, no police shootings, no department scandals. (Fort Worth isn’t in the same league as Dallas on the scandal front, but it has had a few doozies over the years.)

My opinion is the fact she’s a woman shouldn’t help or hurt her chances. Let her be judged by the quality of her work. If she’s as good or better than anyone else, she deserves it. If not…

But it is hard not to take notice of her gender, because it is unusual. As far as I know, only Richland Hills and Cockrell Hill have had female police chiefs in North Texas. (Yes, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is also a woman.)

Other big city police departments, including Detroit, San Francisco and Boston have been led by women. So have a few federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Police Chief Magazine reports women make up fewer than one percent of the nation’s police chiefs. (Of all cops, only 13-14 percent are female.)

Interesting stats. Will Fort Worth help push that number up?

Kneblick will likely stay interim for awhile. These “national searches” have a way of dragging on. In the meantime, the more city leaders see her style and her leadership, they can make an informed decision.