CAN LESSONS BE LEARNED FROM THE BARONE INCIDENT?

After watching the Funeral service for Senator John McCain, I couldn't help if anyone was listening to the eulogies or  any thing  will  be changed or be learned from John McCain's life and death.

 For some reason I kept thinking about Hartford and the incident involving Sergeant Stephen Barone and questioning if anything will  be learned from the incident and will any positive change come about, or will we go the other way and use some one's mistake to further divide our City.

I'm sure if our President had the chance, he would probably take back  his poorly chosen words he uttered on the campaign trail regarding Senator McCain's captivity as a prisoner of war. Instead our President has chosen to dig in his heels and continue the divide.

I can only hope and pray that the Barone incident won't be handled the same way . All indications are that will not be allowed to happen. I know everyone will not be accepting of the eventual outcome, but as a community it is now part of our history, and we need to learn a lesson and make sure this type of history does not repeat itself.

Hartford over the years has been very progressive in its programs to build positive Police/Community relations. I think as a City we all have been very fortunate to benefit from the results of those programs , but we still have a long way to go. Sadly. some of the best programs have been decimated by the cost cutting ax that is swung annually by a City Hall that is more focused on preserving things such as high priced Council Assistants while slashing funding for Community Service Officers (CSO's)and other programs that have shown positive results  The School Resource Officer program  which assigned Police  Officers to serve as positive role models in Hartford Schools has gone the way of the dinosaurs and is now extinct in the Hartford Schools.

To be fair though, the SRO's were removed from the schools more at the request of the Board of Education than by HPD. Whatever the reason, it was a stupid move, especially in our High Schools where it could help to build positive relationships between police officers and students as well as a potential recruitment tool to let students see police officers as normal human beings and not an occupying force to be feared.

Like I said earlier, not everyone will be happy with the eventual outcome of the numerous meeting held between community partners, politicians and the Police Administration. I have spoke with several people who have been included in those meetings and hearing that termination is "off the table". Let me get that one out of the way first because many  of our so called "community leaders" have been insisting on termination.

Even more surprising is that many of those calling for Barone's termination are ministers  and religious people. Now I usually don't get around to quoting the bible in my arguments, but I have to wonder how religious people can preach God's teachings from the Bible, and then totally ignore them when it doesn't suit their needs.

I am sure we have all heard at one time or another "Lest he who is without guilt, cast the first stone". No , I am not asking to call off the stoning of Sergeant Barone, but I think it is important that the 'punishment" fits the crime.  This verse is not speaking to not judging at all , it is speaking to judging unfairly or in  any other  selfish way.

I have asked many people to name an offense committed by Sergeant Barone that is a termination worthy offense. Poor decision, but definitely not termination. Keep in mind that no criminal statute violation occurred or has been claimed. Not even a violation of the Hartford Police Departments Code of conduct.

Any termination for political expediency , and that's the only reason it would happen, would most likely result in a wrongful termination lawsuit that would cost the taxpayers of Hartford a large amount of money to defend. In the end, the most likely judgment, for Sergeant Barone's poor choice of words would be a judgment in favor of Barone. That judgment, if past history is any indication, would most likely be an order to rehire Barone with reimbursement for past due lost  pay and benefits along with interest and quite possibly a monetary settlement and reimbursement for his legal expense which would be large.

And I don't want to go off the rails here, but we can't have different standards for Barone than we have for our so called "Community leaders". I have been told by more than one source that in one of the HPD meetings  that a community leader was far from showing any leadership when they commented that anything short of Barone's termination would result in "buildings burning in North Hartford". Is that what little these leaders thing of the people they are supposed to represent ?

It also seems hypocritical  to move to condemn Barone for his poor choice of words, whatever the intent, and then threaten arson for North Hartford.  Bad choices are bad choices... across the board.

Again, to not use this  incident as a tool to learn and build from is a huge waste.  I do honestly think that Stephen Barone should be, and will be demoted from his rank of Sergeant. I do not think he will be terminated and he will have a long road ahead of him to once again prove himself and regain the trust of the people of Hartford. That is my hope that Stephen Barone will appreciate the opportunity that is afforded him if the eventual decision is to allow him to stay on HPD and that opportunity will make him a stronger, more compassionate human being 

 I am also told that when the full 12 minute video is released, we will have a much different impression than the edited, 90 second or so clip posted on Facebook. There was clearly an agenda in play here to not release the full video by the Facebook posters.

This is a huge opportunity for Chief Rosado to do the right thing and use this incident as a learning experience for every one of his officers and build community trust, and to do that it has to be addressed openly and candidly, with Barone also as part of that discussion and maybe a better explanation so we can get to know the person, not just rhetoric from Facebook

In the meantime, I keep thinking about Matthew 7:1, "lest he who is without guilt" How many of us can answer "yes, that's me , no guilt, never said anything wrong that I regretted afterwards."