Law Enforcement Watchdog Files Complaint Against Frank Straub For Misrepresentation

A long-time independent law enforcement watchdog in Spokane, Washington has filed a complaint with the Spokane Police Department's ombudsman accusing Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub, the former Indianapolis Public Safety Director, with misrepresentation according to the Spokesman Review.

The complaint filed by a former spokesman for the Center for Justice, Tim Connor, arises from statements Straub made while testifying before the Mayor's Use of Force Commission on the use of body cameras by the department's police officers. A public television recording of Straub's testimony before the Commission meeting earlier this year includes statements that the department was working with the Center for Justice to develop policies and procedures relating to the use of body cameras.

Connor's complaint claims that the department was not working with the Center for Justice to get input and advice as claimed by Straub. “Because the Chief either knew, or should have known, that these statements were untrue he either misrepresented the facts or was negligent in his misrepresentations,” Connor wrote in the complaint. The Center's executive director, Rick Eichstadt, who said the Center is not a part of Conner's complaint, confirmed that the organization wasn't involved in developing policies for the use of body cameras.

Days after Connor's complaint was filed, a second complaint filed by a retired police officer accused Straub of providing false information to the Spokane City Council during a budget presentation. Straub told the council that the police department responds to 8,000 domestic calls per year. Brian Breen's complaint says the 8,000 figure Straub provided to the council is more than double what the department has reported annually to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. “There are two things that become blatantly obvious when reviewing the data SPD has submitted to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) in 2009 through 2013, either the statements made by Mr. Straub to those in attendance at a very important budget meeting were false, or the Spokane Police Department has not been following State Law,” Breen wrote in his complaint.

Since Straub's departure as Indianapolis' Public Safety Director, his actions concerning the Regional Operations Center lease have come under intense scrutiny by a city council investigating committee. It has come to light that Straub and his staff destroyed virtually all of the records pertaining to that one-sided lease agreement that was entered into to lease the former Eastgate Mall property now owned by Alex Carroll, a politically-connected campaign contributor of Mayor Ballard. It was also learned that Straub had ordered WCTY not to record meetings of the Public Safety Board for nearly a one-year period while discussions regarding the ROC were taking place. Many council members believe Straub misled council members about many aspects of the lease when its approval was rammed through the council in 2011 ahead of the 2012 Super Bowl.