Port Police: Depraved Band of Misogynist Rageaholics Or Just Misunderstood?

What would we do without the P-I? Kristen Millares Bolt and Eric Nalder deliver a late hit on the Port today, following up an earlier story on the Port's unwillingness to police its police force. It's a good day when you kick off an article like so:

Port of Seattle documents released Tuesday reveal a police chief fearful of a litigious union and overwhelmed by an e-mail scandal engulfing a third of his officers.

The documents show that before Sgt. Jon Schorsch sent racist, sexist and lurid e-mails to many of his fellow officers, he had threatened to burn down an ex-girlfriend's house. Early last year, he was accused in a criminal case of stalking another woman.

But despite that record, Port Police Chief Tim Kimsey warned his associates that they might be "moving too fast" in firing Schorsch, who was at the center of the e-mail scandal.

Moving too fast? That's a huge problem in Seattle, gotta admit!

We have two other favorite moments -- marred by laughing so hard we nearly lost a contact lens -- to highlight. First up, (1) new Port Commission President John Creighton takes us back to Latin class: "It was a definite mistake to allow the police department to handle its own investigation... You usually don't get (the) best results having a department investigate itself."

Juvenal couldn't have put it better himself. (We picture incoming Port chief Tay Yoshitani scratching his head, reviewing that handy "den of rogues and thieves" escape clause in the employment contract.)

Then (2) Deputy Police Chief Evans initially told the P-I the disciplinary actions taken were "made in concert with labor management, human resources and corporate counsel." When the P-I found that the Port's Labor Relations Director Herman Wacker actually told Chief Kimsey, "There is no way this individual is fit to be a police officer in my judgment," Evans' spokesman clarified that "in concert" didn't mean "in agreement."

Thanks for that clarification. Chief Kimsey is in the middle of six months of paid leave, and retires on May 31; he'll have made over $65,000 during that time. You, on the other hand, aren't paid to goof off. Get back to work!