Front Page  »  

Gesell contemplating run against Joe Arpaio

May 28, 2015
Steve Gesell

Steve Gesell

San Luis Obispo’s former police chief Steve Gesell withdrew his application for the Chico chief of police job and has set his sights on a possible run for embattled Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s position in the 2016 election. [KSBY]

Earlier this year, Gesell applied to Chico for its chief of police position. On May 12, SLO City Manager Katie Lichtig placed Gesell on paid administrative leave, and last week the city agreed to pay him a $120,000 settlement to walk away without disparaging or filing a lawsuit against the city.

On May 22, several members of Chico’s Police Officers Association were in San Luis Obispo to interview Gesell’s former associates as part of a background investigation. Gesell responded by withdrawing his application for the Chico chief of police position.

“Chico has a lot of similarities to San Luis Obispo, and the last thing I would want to put my family through again, is a lot of the same scenarios that I have been through here,” Gesell told KSBY. “And after contemplating that, we have the option to what we know in Phoenix, and particularly what I believe will be the opportunities that will present themselves. The decision is very clear.”

In 2013, a judge ruled that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office had systematically racially profiled Latinos in its regular traffic and immigration patrols. Arpaio leadership has cost Maricopa County taxpayers more than $23 million in legal expenses and the costs of implementing court recommendations to fix Arpaio’s acts of racial bias.

Gesell told KSBY he is contemplating running for the sheriff’s seat currently held by Arpaio in the 2016 election.

Get links to local news stories, like CCN on Facebook.


Loading...
Subjects:                     
Related:


49 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Joe is a national figure not a backwater sheriff. He is also the poster boy for a big plank in the national platform. The local party is bolstered by the national party and will grind any small fish from a small pond into dog food.


0

Gesell is an interesting psychological study (keep in mind we have no body language, speech patterns or a question/answer format to follow here)–but mugs shots, wanted posters, random security shots during crimes,etc. are all something we study in psychology–just in case we take positions with the police, FBI, in forensics, etc.


Gesell’s eyes are the most predominant feature. They communicate an almost boyish or “bedroom eyes” feature that is the polar opposite of the hardened sociopath eye many see featured in pictures where the person has a “hardened” element (very warm and open). These are the kind eyes you want to see in situations where you are waking up from surgery or waking up after a bump on the head. The eyes you will search for are the kind ones.


The forehead wrinkling suggests time spent worrying. Perfectly suitable for his position, and proof that he works hard. His smile is not wide enough to be considered “cocky” and “too sure of himself” and the slight dimple always elicits a positive emotional response in the general public. His posture and build are an interesting mix–striking a note somewhere between alpha male (this is backed up by the full head of hair), and yet his body language doesn’t scream “aggressive and pushy”.


Final analysis? Trusted by the general public, liked by women and children, but a sheep in wolf’s clothing. This man has more drive and intellectual power than most people ever experience in their lifetime. He also is aware of his likeable appearance and uses it very effectively and strategically to reach personal goals.


0

“This man has more drive and intellectual power than most people ever experience in their lifetime”. . Aw, come on, Indi. Now, just a minute here. I”M the lame commenter.

Indigo your adoring written out psycho-babble is challenging my moniker position here! Leave the lame stuff to me.


The guy’s a system-gaming savagely-pensioned to be, top cop with job performance plusses and minuses. Sheesh.


0

A single professional portrait taken in a photography studio provides absolutely zero information about his character, mental health or demeanor.


H. H. Holmes, perhaps America’s most notorious homicidal psychopathic killer had kind eyes and an affable. pleasant demeanor. There is no such thing as a “sociopathic eye.”


His forehead wrinkling is a function of the effects of aging and the normal muscle contractions that occur when one is smiling.


His posture. smile and body language were coached by the professional photographer taking his picture. Understand this was the best of a number of other pictures taken at the same sitting.


Final analysis? A nice professional portrait.


0

That is bizarrely specific, so you have a thing for Steve’s “bedroom eyes”?


0

so what are your credentials? seriously.


0

Oh, Come on Indigo,


Take a look at the portrait of Ted Bundy, he was a poster child on canvas and in public as well. How about Jim Jones or even the notorious “Cannibal Cop” from NY city for that matter. Shall I go on? Geeez …..


It’s beyond me how Gesell thinks he is going to win an election in AZ as the Maricopa Sheriff. For one thing, ‘he is an outsider’, for another thing, he has minimal experience and he just isn’t all that.


One has to wonder what came out with the Chico inquiries. Certainly Gesell knew they would be doing interviews here. As of 2015, I’d say his behavior has been one big enigma and he isn’t looking so trustworthy.


0

In the police world, they like to say ASS-U-ME.


I will again refer to my favorite book by the Berenstein Bears. The Book about Strangers.


https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Berenstain_Bears_Learn_About_Strange.html?id=y5gG5fH02MwC&hl=en


It all really is quite simple. We cannot tell what is on the inside by looking at one’s outside.


Ted Bundy was quite handsome for his time.


Look at him here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Ted_Bundy_headshot.jpg


He even has a slightly crooked boyish grin with a dimple. So cute. Looks familiar?


People can profile all they want, but behavior speaks more than the polished image.


Here’s one more image for the road:


http://media.sanluisobispo.com/smedia/2015/01/13/12/13/YEcWc.AuSt.76.jpg

I think he looks so “hometown hero” here, don’t you?


0

that’s probably B.S. he decided that CHICO was not for him , what most likely really happened all the folks they interviewed told them about the real steve, good luck, JOE will chew you up and spit you out


0

I’ve seen Arpaio’s mailers in the past. He’s up for any good ballot box fight. Even the feds couldn’t take him down (from office) with their unlimited resources. I’ve played and dined Greyhawk and the toney Scottsdale set this chief knows, is WAY different from the folks across Tatum Road and the rest of Maricopa County.


Joe will make political mincemeat out of this man’s failure to upgrade his own unconstitutional interview areas, his buying a roughly triple expensive Disney trip flight ticket so his family could go on cut-rate companion fares (a family subsidy which SLO paid for), his regular junketing and touring on the city dime, Israel, gads, not to mention Steve’s finding that apparently even backwater Chico didn’t consider him a good catch. So, it’s back to the desert. Take Katie with you, Chief!


I would not compare him to a rat if that’s what was posted below, the man is a LE professional, gotta respect the badge as hard as that sometimes is in this county, he’s just a little too cushy with the expense account, and too selective and inefficient in policing many issues in SLOtown, the jewel of the Coast.


0

Steve Gesell has demonstrated that you can’t go home again. He was raised in SLO, before moving to Arizona where he started his police career.

His joining the Atascadero Police Department was his way back home. The chirf’s job was his dream come true.

But SLO of today is not the SLO of 1975.

The community have changed in its diversity and political tastes and Steve didn’t see that.

Had he taken up Sheriff Parkinson’s offer to be undersheriff, when Martin Basti retired, he would no doubt have been happier living in his hometown.

Hopefully, as he returns to Arizona, he will find that it hasn’t changed too much from when he last lived there.

As far as running against Sheriff Arpaio, it will be a tough race, because Arpaio has all the old ladies convinced they will be murdered in their beds if he isn’t sheriff.


0

It’s unfortunate that Chico spent resources on the process to hire him but at least they dodged the bullet of him bleeding them they way he did SLO. It seems his ego and sense of self are too large for small cities.


0

wow! there was a dead rat in front of my house; didn’t take long for a crow to haul it off and eat it on my neighbor’s roof. i don’t think i’ll tell her


0

“Chico has a lot of similarities to San Luis Obispo, and the last thing I would want to put my family through again, is a lot of the same scenarios that I have been through here,”

Does this mean Chico does not let his family travel, eat and ride on the tax-payer’s dime? What?! They don’t just look the other way because, well… heh, everyone does it?


Poor guy. Such terrible “scenarios” that this city has put YOU through. You’re a real HERO, chief. Real hero.


Next?


0

This guy gives me the creeps, yuck.


0
1 2 3