NOTE: *Ismael Mena Story*

SANCHEZ OUT AS POLICE CHIEF

Denver Police Chief Tom Sanchez abruptly retired Tuesday after a meeting in which Mayor Wellington Webb and his head of
public safety gave him no choice but to step down.

Sanchez, 50, was noticeably absent from an evening news conference held
moments after word of his departure was aired over police dispatch radios.

His retirement comes after months of intensive criticism of Denver's
1,400-member police force, including allegations of excessive force,
cronyism and unscrupulous recruiting. Although Webb praised Sanchez's 30
years of police work, "It's time for a change," he told reporters.

"Given the number of incidents that have come up, the number of personnel
changes in the department, the number of new officers now, and the number
in the next two to three years, I decided we needed a chief to handle a
tremendous number of transitions," he said. "The goal here was to get a
fresh start." Sanchez declined comment late Tuesday, promising to elaborate
today.

He led the department for 18 months and is the third police chief in Webb's
8 1/2-year tenure. City officials say Sanchez always felt uncomfortable
with the public scrutiny that came with his $109,116-a-year position.

The chief is slated to work until Feb. 22, when Webb hopes to name his
successor from the ranks of the department. Sanchez will retire with a
$76,000-a-year pension.

The mayor said he, Sanchez and Public Safety Manager Butch Montoya met
Tuesday and agreed on Sanchez's departure. Webb called Sanchez "a proud
police officer," noting, "when you've spent more than 30 years in a job,
that's not real easy to handle or to tell him."

The afternoon meeting came five hours after Sanchez returned home from
Honolulu two days ahead of schedule on Webb's orders. Sanchez and three of
his top deputies were criticized for jetting off to attend a law
enforcement conference in the Aloha State on Saturday - one day after a
Denver police officer was charged with perjury related to the shooting
death of Ismael Mena during a no-knock raid in September.

Most vocal in those complaints was Councilman Ed Thomas, a former Denver
police officer and long-time critic of the department who is eyeing a run
for mayor in 2003. Although he had lambasted Sanchez for "stupidity" and
"bad timing" in his tax-funded Hawaiian jaunt, Thomas said he was
disheartened by the chief's retirement.

"It was just a case of bad judgment. It didn't need to cost the guy his
job. I feel bad about that," he said.

Police union officials said they weren't surprised by the chief's
retirement.

"We are looking forward to a better working relationship with the next
police administration," said John Wyckoff, secretary of the Denver Police
Protective Association.

Earlier Tuesday, several Denver City Council members had criticized Sanchez
for poor judgment in traveling to Hawaii. Still, most expressed support for
the police chief, saying his leadership shouldn't be judged by one public
relations error.

"I'm not sure that staying home from the conference would have changed
anything," said Councilwoman Cathy Reynolds. "It's not like he was walking
away from a hostage situation." Others blamed the media for Sanchez's
troubles.

"It's been blown way out of proportion. It's like running a city by radio
talk show and tabloidization," said Councilwoman Susan Casey. "We've got
enough serious issues in the city to address other than where a police
chief goes for a conference." Council members expressed surprise at news of
the chief's retirement.

"I think Chief Sanchez is a very decent man and that he really tried to
bring high standards to the Denver Police Department," said Councilwoman
Kathleen MacKenzie. "But I'm sure that he's the best judge of what's
possible and what's not and apparently decided that he was not the person
to continue to lead the department."

Added Councilman Dennis Gallagher: "I've been hearing there is low morale
in the department. I'm hoping that whoever gets appointed will raise
morale."

Scrutiny about leadership in the police department heightened in December,
with news about the recruitment of Ellis Johnson, an admitted thief with an
extensive drug history. Sanchez objected to Johnson's hiring, but was
overridden by Montoya, his boss. District Attorneys launched an
investigation into whether Johnson was recruited because of cronyism -
specifically ties to Denver Civil Service commissioners.

Political watchers say Johnson's recruitment, the Mena shooting and other
controversies have blemished the Webb administration and the city as a
whole.

"For an embattled police chief of an embattled police department (to go on)
a tax-funded trip to a place where most voters and taxpayers only dream of
going demonstrated a tin ear for public relations,"

said Denver political consultant Eric Sondermann. "Webb must be getting
tired of doing pooper-scooper duty for the police department." Webb
acknowledged such frustrations late Tuesday.

The mayor did not elaborate on who he has in mind to replace Sanchez.

"The list will probably make itself. I expect to find a replacement inside
the department," he said. "But I don't think they'll be going to Hawaii."