But Wechter and other board-appointed members balked, noting that the standard civil oversight hiring process is to conduct a nationwide search with a published job posting, typically through the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
Some members were in favor of considering Henderson’s selection, including board member Julie Soo, who was appointed by the mayor.
But Wechter said Henderson’s attempt to bypass that process seemed inappropriate.
“This is in complete contradiction to supervisory best practice, which is to conduct a nationwide comprehensive search,” he said. “I think almost every other regulator in the country has done that. The people in the supervisory area are moving. So you don’t just want to look at your garden. So I was more concerned that he might do that.”
Henderson defended the move, saying he just wanted to expedite the process.
“I didn’t even give out my list, I didn’t even tell them who it was, but I was surprised they got it as I’m trying to put my person there and check on it,” he said. “What are you talking about? I’m telling you there are good leaders that I know are available across the country.”
The board finally voted for a statewide search in January 2023, but the hiring process was further delayed when the city’s human resources department encountered logistical problems as it does not typically hire department heads.
