October 29, 2011 12:16 AM UTC

Hancock's Office Still Working Out the Kinks With Media

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• by: Colorado Pols

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is celebrating his first 100 days in office, and he’s no doubt hoping that the next 100 are (relatively) free of more of the weird, poorly-thought-out gaffes coming from his press shop. As Fox 31 News reports, announcing the new Denver Police Chief somehow became really difficult:

Denver mayor Michael Hancock has selected Louisville, Kentucky Police Chief Robert White to become the next Denver Chief of Police.

Hancock, who wasn’t planning to make the announcement Friday, hastily scheduled a news conference for 3:30 p.m.

Before Hancock’s office was ready to announce the choice Friday, White’s department in Louisville put out its own press release that he was taking the Denver job. Earlier Friday, Hancock’s press secretary Amber Miller said that “we’re continuing our review process and hope to have someone appointed soon.” [Pols emphasis]

This isn’t as bad as trying to bar reporters from using tape recorders, but it is really a silly mistake for Hancock’s team. It’s quite clear that this decision had been signed, sealed and delivered before today, but it would appear that nobody was communicating with the City of Louisville on the timing of the announcement. That kind of thing is incredibly important in the Internet age, where it’s just as easy to find out about an announcement in Louisville as it is to learn of one down the street.

Hancock’s team got bad press in early August for being a bit too excited to push his “story” to the national media. If they don’t start getting more careful, and fast, that story is going to write itself…but not with the narrative they are looking to find.