Mayor Cawley questions the accuracy of that report on Granato

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Just in case you were wondering, Yakima’s two police unions aren’t the only ones who are unhappy with police Chief Sam Granato these days.

Mayor Micah Cawley stopped by the Yakima Herald-Republic last Friday to talk about the city’s investigation exonerating the chief of threatening to retaliate against a young officer for supporting Cawley’s re-election campaign.

According to a report by an insurance investigator, Granato denied the allegation as related by union officials, saying that he had simply expressed concern about the officer’s political activism.

Cawley accused Granato of not being “forthright” and asserted it’s the chief who’s overly interested in politics.

“Obviously he’s been poking around,” Cawley said, adding, “To me, it’s nobody’s business who supports who ... And that goes for the chief, too.”

The mayor said he also now regrets not being more up front about friction with the chief, who was upset over Cawley’s criticism of a crime analyst position.

The investigator said he was unable to discern any motive why Granato would have a vendetta against Cawley, even though the chief’s frustration over the crime analyst position was well covered by this newspaper.

That coverage included comments by Cawley last fall calling on Granato to step down because of ongoing personnel turmoil that has resulted in lawsuits and union grievances.

“There are pieces that are missing,” Cawley said of the investigator’s report. “It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Granato has been under strict orders by City Manager Dick Zais not to talk about this particular investigation, or other legal issues involving his performance as chief.

Zais said Friday that he believes the investigator's report cleared the chief of any wrongdoing. He said he was satisfied that Granato had no motive to retailate against Officer Jim Moore, and that he uttered no such threat.

"The chief denied that very clearly and very directly," Zais said.

— Chris Bristol