Tracy Orme

From: Gary Bushman

Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 9:49 AM
To: Steve Harman
Cc: John Curtis
Subject: RE: Couple of Questions

Steve,
Thanks for you quick response.

From: Steve Harman

Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 9:46 AM
To: Gary Bushman
Subject: RE: Couple of Questions

Good morning Gary,

With regard to the questions you asked, please note the following:

1. - I was aware that he turned down the . I did not ask him why; rather the question I
asked him was "If you are offered the Provo position, are there any barriers to you in accepting it?" He responded
"no." appears highly motivated for the Provo position. I would not be concerned about turning the job down.

2. John King - I saw the same article. I do not believe for a second that Mr. King is a front for union interests. I also
don't pay much attention to the posts following the article. You'll note there are several that are quite supportive as well.

Steve Harman

From: Gary Bushman [GBushman@provo.utah.gov]

Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 7:25 AM
To: Steve Harman
Subject: Couple of Questions

Steve,

We have a couple of questions for a meeting with the Mayor at 1:00 our time today:

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2. What do you make of John King’s situation given this article? Does he operate as a “union” front man
demanding wages and budgets that the Administration can’t support? Is he the type that tries to validate his
leadership by getting on the employee score card with pay and benefit increases on a regular basis?
Gaithersburg police chief resigns
Gaithersberg Police Chief John A. King resigned Friday, according to a city press release.
His resignation is effective immediately. He had held the job since April 2007.

John A. King (Gaithersburg Police)

The interim chief is Mark P. Sroka, a Maryland State Police major, the city said.
“Chief King has been an integral part of the City’s senior leadership for the past two and a half years,” said City
Manager Angel Jones in a prepared statement that said King will pursue private sector opportunities.
Sroka will conduct "a thorough review of the police department’s administration, operations and resources and
that he evaluate and make recommendations for improvements to department operations," according to the
city's news release.
This post has been updated since it was first published.
-- Dan Morse
By Washington Post Editors | January 15, 2010; 2:15 PM ET
Categories: Dan Morse , Internal Affairs , Montgomery

Comments
Usually, and not always, but usually, state police officials are NOT a wise pick for small town police departments.
The Maryland State Police, while a fine organization, usually does not develope in its officers and officials the
necessary skills to handle the most important aspect of police work, which is handling calls for service.
Gaithersburg had a fine chief in Chief King, and should have kept him.
I wonder how many other good city employees will be forced out of their jobs?
Posted by: jnrentz@aol.com | January 15, 2010 3:45 PM | Report abuse
Why did he resign?
Posted by: tradervic1313 | January 15, 2010 5:08 PM | Report abuse
jnrentz, if you read the City's press release, it is clear that Major Sroka is stepping in only on an interim basis; I
think that the State Police will do that for any local department that for whatever reason has lost its chief
officer.
Posted by: reader178 | January 16, 2010 12:05 AM | Report abuse
When is the last time a Police Chief had to handle calls for service?
Posted by: gpl2411 | January 16, 2010 1:19 AM | Report abuse
Chief King is a man of honor and integrity. He clashed with a city government that has neither. Why did
Gaithersburg turn on a man who has done a great job from the first day he arrived?
Two clues:
A Mayor's revenge for the FOP endorsing his opponent
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The City Manager's revenge for arresting her criminal boy friend
Chief King made the mistake of doing the right thing in a City focused on destroying the police department. He
pushed back against pay cuts and other decisions the city manager made aimed at destroying the police
department.
But why would they destroy their police department?
Follow the money. The Mayor and Council have indulged their desires with a lopsided budget and need to
sacrifice the police to cover their mistakes. The bloated budget is loaded with waste that only a few citizens
benefit from while the rest need the police to protect them from the gangs and criminals that Montgomery
County pays to live in apartments in Gaithersburg. The city just published a survey that shows that less than a
third of the residents use the recreation facilities that the elected leaders squander taxpayer dollars on.
Here is the bottom line: Gaithersburg will never recover from this travesty. City Leaders are ignorant of how
quickly this information has been spread throughout the law enforcement world. The word is out. Stay away
from Gaithersburg. It is run by fools and it hates the police.
Posted by: MarylandIsDying | January 16, 2010 2:04 AM | Report abuse
It will be a long time before this police dept recovers.I see bad things happening for these officers what a shame.
Possibly the city manager was embarrased over the arrest of her boyfriend?I think Mr. Katz needs to fire angela
jones for haboring a criminal? Mr Katz needs to be dethroned for allowing this. sounds like we need a new
mayor.for the officers, other agencies are hiring dont waste your time in this blood bath im sure drastic cuts are
in store for you all,you heard it here pay cuts,cars taken etc.run while u can.
Posted by: police9302 | January 16, 2010 11:20 AM | Report abuse
If you people remember King was under investigation for his so called disability retirement from Montgomery
County and then taking the job of police chief.
Posted by: MKadyman | January 16, 2010 4:22 PM | Report abuse
MKadyman, if you remember Chief King was exonerated from the allegations fully. Chief King was above board
throughout his hiring process. Both Montgomery County and Gaithersburg City were aware of his health and his
application for disability retirement.
The entire investigation was started by bureaucrats who had axes to grind. It cost taxpayers a lot of money to
find out that they lied.
So that is what you should REMEMBER. John King is an honest man who has not compromised his integrity and
never will. While not a saint, if you knew him or the people who know him you would never make snide
allegations long after he was cleared of them.
Posted by: MarylandIsDying | January 17, 2010 10:00 AM | Report abuse
Think about it. He is placed on admn leave unexpectedly and then he resigns abruptly. This has nothing to do
with Angel's ex-boyfriend or his disability. You will never get the full story but this was not Angel's fault or the
Mayor's. You can only judge him on what you know. This time you don't really know so it is only a guess on your
part. The city is a good place to work.
Posted by: udontknow | January 17, 2010 10:34 AM | Report abuse
Those who respect King will let this drop. "udontknow" is so very right by suggesting that the truth of the event
is not openly availble. Allow King to continue on with respect and our police department pick up the pieces left
behind for a rebuilding. Above all, keep an open mind.
Posted by: TruthInTime | January 18, 2010 8:15 PM | Report abuse
This will be just another one of Gaithersburg's dirty little secrets. Letting things drop allows this kind of thing go
on and on and on. And that is what Gaithersburg is really good at, continuing to tout itself as the greatest city in
the world even as it slides into decay.
Our police department is too busy typing up resumes and job applications to pick up any pieces. If you think
otherwise then you are fooling yourself.
The only people who want this to go away are the ones who screwed up and now realize the mistake they have
made. The genie won't go back in the bottle no matter how hard they push.
The city is famous for letting things drop until bullets are flying through apartment walls. But sometimes you
have to face things head on and be a big boy. This one ain't going away.
Final correction, the city was a good place to work. Every day now city employees are grilled in private about
their supervisors and peers by top management. Stalinesque paranoia is driving the best and brightest to seek

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work elsewhere. What happened to the chief is only a symptom of the illness that is robbing Gaithersburg of
what made it special.
Posted by: MarylandIsDying | January 19, 2010 6:34 AM | Report abuse
Maryland Is "Dying",
Everything I've seen and heard about Angel Jones suggests that she's been working hard since her appointment
to replace antiquated, informal systems of management with written policies and by-the-book supervision.
Transitions like this are inevitably messy, and I can certainly imagine that there might some employees who
could see this as making the City less of a good place to work.
Posted by: reader178 | January 19, 2010 10:09 AM | Report abuse
Keeping an open mind as "truthintime" suggests makes sense to those of us who have some. However, the one
who continues to spew erroneous information and inflammatory comments throughout the web will never have
an open mind. This person hides behind the presumption that inflammatory comments will bring out the truth.
This person erodes the "community" in the ignorant. However, it's just an annoyance to most of us who are
more intelligent than that.
Posted by: washedup1 | January 19, 2010 10:12 AM | Report abuse
Maybe it is time for those who are dusting off their resumes to seek employment elsewhere. Interesting how
you may think the "dirty little secrets" are the city's. Maybe this is not the case. If it is a personnel matter the
city cannot speak as to this sudden departure. Why don't you just ask King where he is going to work that was so
special? The city IS a good place to work. The malcontents will always oppose things when they don't get their
way!It is sad this has happened. It is a good dept and will remain so with those who choose the right path.
Posted by: udontknow | January 20, 2010 9:46 PM | Report abuse
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Thanks