I had the experiences of interacting with Steve Strachan on several issues when he was chief of police in Kent. The way he handled a few specific issues speaks to his character, personality, leadership style and his philosophy of law enforcement.
I was the primary recruiter and facilitator for a diverse activist group – PAID (People Advocating Involvement in Democracy). Strachan was absolutely meticulous in the way he noted our group’s concerns coming from the community, acknowledging our perceptions of inappropriate police behavior without necessarily subscribing to the perceptions in a given instance, and working to resolve issues with the understanding that peoples’ perceptions are their reality.
He could have spent his time, as do many with lesser human relations skills, trying to convince people that their perceptions were wrong. Or one could do what Strachan did – work with the perceptions that exist and demonstrate by concrete actions how the police department will address the concerns raised.
Not only did he deal with specific issues raised by the group, but he took the time to work on building relationships with the group. He met with the group quarterly and began to utilize the group as a sounding board for a number of issues, which he brought to the table, like gang problems and relevant legislation proposals.
PAID wasn’t the only group concerned about police activities in Kent. The King County Chapter of the NAACP announced its concerns, indicating there would be a community forum and an investigation of concerns about police harassing black people. Strachan did not circle the wagons at City Hall to combat the NAACP. Instead, he followed good advice and notified the NAACP president that he would assist or provide whatever help the organization needed in the investigation.
Rather than taking a defensive posture, Strachan made it clear that the Kent Police Department may not be perfect in its delivery of services to the community. Strachan and the department wanted to know how to improve if the NAACP could find evidence of such a need.
Strachan was an outstanding communicator and very inclusive. He validated community experiences even though those experiences and perceptions may have been different than his own. He engaged people of all backgrounds in one of the most diverse cities in the state. There is no reason Strachan wouldn’t do likewise for one of the most diverse counties in the state.
Combined with his other skills and qualities, Steve Strachan is a great candidate man for King County Sheriff.
– Melvin L. Tate
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