We have written numerous articles about the excessive costs of consent decree monitors. Keep in mind, that the monitor cost is just one aspect that Phoenix should consider. After evaluating numerous consent decree cities, we estimate the initial cost to be 25-50 million dollars over the next two years and approximately 10 million dollars a year after that.
One example, at a smaller city, is Seattle that has spent over 120 million dollars in the last 11 years.
While the overall costs are extreme for an exchange of higher crime and less staffing, the price of monitors are particularly outrageous.
Can you imagine making a few million dollars a year for writing quarterly reports on the progress made? Would anyone making that kind of money ever say that an agency is in full compliance?
History tells us NO.
We will report further on this troubling issue but the cottage industry of so called “experts” trying to pad their retirement is widespread.
Take a look at this proposal for a consent decree monitor out of Chicago.
This is the same group’s proposal for New Orleans.
Washington D.C. Attorney Michael Bromwich was already given a one million dollar retainer by the city of Phoenix but he clearly has an interest in joining the million dollar elites that are part of the Consent Decree Monitor cadre. Here is his proposal for the New Orleans Police Department. He was also previously chosen to monitor the Baltimore Police Department.
Was Bromwich the right choice to advise the city of Phoenix when he has had such a long history of wanting or being a consent decree monitor? He is currently being paid a ton of money to advise the police department including Chief Sullivan. Is this why Sullivan is seemingly doing nothing in terms of reform? Is this duo somehow involved in bringing in a consent decree?
Is this really what Phoenix residents expect from their leaders?
We have another idea.
In a previous article, we questioned why the Phoenix Police Chief had not made basic reforms in an effort to make the agency great. There are costs to doing that but those costs would be less than one year of monitor costs.
Considering that the agency has already spent millions simply participating with the DOJ investigation, why has this not been done?
Phoenix residents deserve to know.
