Viewpoint: Lisa Solomon’s retirement not forced
On March 24, The Tribune published a story that stated that had Police Chief Lisa Solomon not retired, the Paso Robles City Council would have “forced her out.” However, none of the quotes directly attributed to either of us says that. In fact, the council never made any decision to terminate her, and we wish to correct any such impression that it did.
“I did not express any opinion as to any of the current allegations,” says Councilman John Hamon. “Lisa is a trusted friend and I will always support her. She has protected this city with her many years of exceptional law enforcement knowledge and skillful management of our Police Department.”
“My comments were meant to convey that the atmosphere caused by the on-line attacks were making it extraordinarily difficult for Lisa, and I was being sympathetic,” adds Councilman Nick Gilman. “I have had, and still have, the utmost respect for Lisa and the way she ran the Police Department.”
What became clear over the last two months was that the allegations regarding, and especially the online rumors, speculation and attacks on Chief Solomon were making it increasingly difficult for her — as well as other city officials — to attend to the management of city business. The city could not publicly respond to the allegations because Chief Solomon and others involved in the investigative process have privacy rights regarding their personnel matters that the city is required by law to protect.
That means that the city could not (and cannot) comment either on the allegations or the possible motivations of the accusers except in court or some similar setting.
Chief Solomon served our city honorably for 26 years, the last five as chief of police. During her tenure as chief, overall crime in the city went down, despite a significant reduction in staffing due to the recession. She was an active participant in many city events, secured millions of dollars in grants for police programs and served as an advocate for women and children. We know she has many staunch supporters within the Police Department and the community at large.
But we could see the toll that the rumors and mean-spirited attacks on her character — the majority of them from anonymous bloggers and other on-line sources — was taking on her, as they would on anyone. So we accepted her decision to retire with regret, but also with appreciation of her acknowledgement that it would be best for the city to move forward without further distractions.
We wish her the best in her future endeavors and know she will continue to make valuable contributions to our community.
John Hamon and Nick Gilman serve on the Paso Robles City Council.
This story was originally published March 28, 2012 at 6:16 AM with the headline "Viewpoint: Lisa Solomon’s retirement not forced."