Use Of Force Commission Member Excited For New Police Chief - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

SPOKANE, Wash. - Executive Vice President of Gonzaga University, Earl "Marty" Martin, said he is excited Dr. Frank Straub is Spokane's new top cop.

Mayor David Condon is expected to announce Straub as Spokane's new police chief Wednesday afternoon. Straub, the current Public Safety Director for the city of Indianapolis, was selected over Daniel Mahoney, the current Commanding Officer of the Ingleside Police Station within the San Francisco Police Department.

Martin sat on two panels during the police chief candidate interviews late last month, including the Government Executive and Elected Leaders panel.  On Wednesday, he told KHQ that he was excited Straub was selected.

"I was particularly impressed by Frank Straub," Martin said.  "I thought he brought great energy to the work, a very strong intellect, a deep understanding of policing at both the tactical and strategic level and I think that later is incredibly important this day and age. That someone in the position of chief of police could see the full span of the operation to understand not just what it's doing but where it needs to go, to have the leadership to take it there. I saw that in Frank Straub."

Martin said he was also impressed that Straub "expressed great empathy" for the challenges that officers face on the job. Straub is not a commissioned officer himself, but Martin does not believe that will affect Straub's effectiveness as Chief.

"He's been around law enforcement in many different capacities throughout his entire career," Martin continued. "I'm convinced he understands policing thoroughly. He might not have walked a beat himself but that doesn't preclude him from understanding what it means for an officer to have his span of control that he must exercise. I have great confidence that he has all the qualities he needs in our next chief of police.

Martin is the former Dean of Gonzaga Law School and is currently the Chair of the Use of Force Commission, a citizen's panel that investigates the city's handling of police use of force issues. However, Martin said he was not speaking on behalf of the Commission.