The letter comes at a time when the Public Safety Department is facing calls for dismissal of top-ranking administration officials. Even when City Councilman Jeff Johnson challenged Public Safety Director Michael McGrath, the former police chief walked out on a public meeting and refused to answer questions. Mayor Frank Jackson has staunchly defended Public Safety leadership.
Here's the full Dec. 17 letter:
Director McGrath-
I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Public Safety Fiscal Manager for the City of Cleveland effective Monday January 12th, 2015.
I began working for the City of Cleveland in January of 2002 and transferred to the Department of Public Safety as Fiscal Manager in 2006. I enjoyed both my position and the work I completed, believing it was making the City of Cleveland a better place to live. Unfortunately, there have been events over the past three years in the Department of Public Safety and under Mayor Jackson's Administration that have changed this belief.
- The 2011 Cleveland Fire Department payroll scandal
- The Cleveland Police Chase in November 2012
- The shooting death of Tamir Rice
These events show a pattern of management that is lacking the required employee oversight, fails to provide the proper employee training, and management that is not being held accountable for the actions that take place within the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Justice report released December 2014 sited (sic) years of "insufficient accountability, inadequate training and ineffective policies" within the Cleveland Police Department. These management and leadership issues ended with a child paying the ultimate price.
The Department of Public Safety and the City of Cleveland is no longer an employer for which I am proud to work. It does not provide the leadership that the residents of Cleveland deserve.
My last day in the office will be Wednesday, January 7th, 2015.
Sincerely,
Shawn Gidley
