The news that Austin has announced a list of nine finalists for the chief of police job has traveled pretty quickly to the burgs from where the nine chiefettes hail. Case in point: It took less than 24 hours for the news that El Paso Chief Richard Wiles had made the Austin cut to travel all the way out West – and if he were to get the job here, good riddance, says Theresa Caballero, a Democratic contender for El Paso district attorney. Caballero is the estranged daughter of the city’s former Mayor Raymond Caballero, and, reportedly, she’s long been a real thorn in the side of the El Paso City Council.
As such, maybe it isn’t so surprising that Caballero on April 5 posted a lengthy missive on her blog, ranting about what a shoddy chief Wiles has been. Among her various accusations are that Wiles has some fairly serious ethical problems and that he has done little to curb his officers’ fondness for excessive force. While at this point we have no idea whether there is any real substance to any of Caballero’s rather hysterical accusations, we’re pretty sure it won’t take long for the hysterical among us to pick up her thread and run with it – more than likely, straight to the dais during citizens communication.
This article appears in April 6 • 2007.